Humanitarian demining in Donbas discussed at TCG meeting in Minsk - Sajdik

17.10.2018 14:21

Ukrinform

The Security Working Group in the Trilateral Contact Group (TCG) at a meeting in Minsk on October 16 discussed additional measures to ensure a ceasefire, the disengagement of forces and hardware, and the practical implementation of humanitarian demining.

Special Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office in Ukraine and in the TCG, Ambassador Martin Sajdik, said this in a press statement on October 17.

"The Group discussed additional measures to ensure a comprehensive and sustainable ceasefire. It considered as well the issues of disengagement of forces and hardware, and practical steps to implement 'humanitarian demining'," Sajdik said, speaking about the work of the subgroup on security.

He stressed that in the recent period, the number of ceasefire violations has sharply increased, and this inevitably leads to new civilian casualties. "You probably already know about the death of two women - a mother and daughter - last week in certain areas of Luhansk region. In this regard, I once again solemnly urge all the sides to prevent such a development and to show full restraint," the OSCE representative said.

The Economic Working Group focused on the issues related to water deliveries in the Karbonyt and Voda Donbasu supply systems, including further steps to carry out repair works on the South Donbas water pipeline, in Avdiyivka's industrial zone, Sajdik said.

In addition, according to Saidik, the Humanitarian Working Group further considered questions related to the exchange of detainees and the search for missing persons. One of the discussion topics concerned also the possibility to improve crossing conditions at the contact line via entry-exit checkpoints.

"The Political Working Group continued working on its regular agenda issues, such as the implementation of the so-called 'Steinmeier formula'," reads the statement.

Sajdik also recalled that in early October, Ukraine prolonged the validity of the law on the special status of certain areas of Donetsk and Luhansk regions. "For my part, I welcome this fact as evidence of Ukraine's commitment to the Minsk agreements and the peaceful resolution of the conflict," he added.

First Deputy Chairwoman of the Verkhovna Rada and Ukraine's representative in the humanitarian subgroup of the TCG Iryna Gerashchenko stated that Ukraine at a TCG meeting on October 16 demanded that Russia cancel fake elections in the occupied Donbas.