Statement by the Trilateral Contact Group

MINSK, 8 September 2015 – The Trilateral Contact Group (TCG) composed of representatives of Ukraine, the Russian Federation and the Special Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office had a meeting in Minsk on 8 September 2015, aimed at enhancing the implementation of the Minsk agreements of September 2014 and February 2015. Trilateral Contact Group heard the reports of the coordinators of the working groups in the framework of consultations with the representatives of certain areas in the Donetsk and Lugansk regions.

The participants welcomed the general compliance by the parties with the ceasefire in certain areas of the Donetsk and Lugansk regions, established at the end of August this year, which helped, inter alia, to start the school year.

The TCG expects that this positive trend would give an opportunity to achieve progress in settlement of issues, which are discussed in the framework of the working groups in the fields of politics, economy, security and humanitarian problems.

The TCG called the OSCE SMM to ensure an efficient monitoring and verification of the ceasefire regime.

The TCG welcomed the progress in the work of the security group concerning the plan on withdrawal of tanks and mortars of caliber less than 120 mm and artillery of caliber less than 100 mm.