Press Statement of Special Representative of OSCE Chairperson-in-Office Sajdik after Meeting of Trilateral Contact Group on 13 February 2019

MINSK, 14 February 2019 – The Special Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office in Ukraine and in the Trilateral Contact Group (TCG), Ambassador Martin Sajdik, made the following statement to the press after the meeting of the TCG ‎and its Working Groups in Minsk on 13 February 2019:

“Yesterday, we marked the fourth anniversary of the Package of Measures for the Implementation of the Minsk Agreements.

This document, together with the Minsk Protocol and the Minsk Memorandum of September 2014, is the basis of the Minsk Agreements that also define our current work.

Unfortunately, a solution to the conflict has not yet come nearer. I mentioned this yesterday, along with Ambassador Ertugrul Apakan, in my VTC briefing to the United Nations Security Council.

This meeting of the UN Security Council was convened on the occasion of the fourth anniversary of the Package of Measures. It has once again demonstrated the great concern of the international community about the situation in the east of Ukraine.

The meeting's participants –  representatives of both the permanent and non-permanent members of the Security Council, including those of Asia, Africa and Latin America – have highlighted the humanitarian aspect of the conflict and the necessity to ensure the protection of the civilian population.

The particular contribution of the OSCE to solve the conflict has been acknowledged as well.

Now as for the results of today's discussions in the Working Groups.

The Humanitarian Working Group has welcomed the transfer of thirty-three detainees not related to the conflict from certain areas of Luhansk region (CALR) to the government-controlled areas of Ukraine. The transfer took place on February 7, 2019. Today, the Working Group continued to discuss issues related to further transfers of such detainees.

The Economic Working Group considered topical issues of water deliveries. The participants have agreed that it is essential to introduce a simplified mechanism to pay for water delivered to CALR in the “Karbonyt” supply system. Also, the schedule of the audit for the “Voda Donbassa” company has been agreed upon, so that the ICRC can now start its work in this regard.

The Security Working Group has worked on ensuring sustainability of the ceasefire and on humanitarian demining near civilian infrastructure.

The Political Working Group took forward its exchanges on its well-known agenda, namely the implementation of the ‘Steinmeier formula’, amnesty and the modalities of local elections in CADR and CALR as stipulated by the Minsk agreements.”