Press Statement of Special Representative Sajdik after the regular Meeting of Trilateral Contact Group in Minsk on 18 December 2019

MINSK, 19 December 2019 – The Special Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office in Ukraine and in the Trilateral Contact Group, Ambassador Martin Sajdik, made the following statement to the press after the meeting of the TCG ‎and its working groups in Minsk on 18 December 2019:

“Today, our discussions were largely influenced by the decisions reached at the meeting of the leaders of the Normandy Four in Paris on 9 December 2019. As you know, the four leaders have agreed on concrete tasks to be implemented by the TCG and its Working Groups.

I am convinced that the successful implementation of these decisions depends both on the political will and on the mutual trust of the sides.

Now, about today’s topics.

With regard to ceasefire, the TCG has adopted the following statement:

“The Trilateral Contact Group, with participation of representatives of certain areas of Donetsk and Luhansk regions of Ukraine, taking into account the recommendations reflected in the Common Agreed Conclusions of the Normandy Summit in Paris, in accordance with own Statement of 17 July 2019, re-affirms its commitment to a full and comprehensive implementation of the ceasefire, strengthened by the implementation of all necessary ceasefire support measures”.

Also, the Security Working Group started discussions to define three additional disengagement areas.

The Political Working Group addressed the legal aspects of the special status of certain areas of Donetsk and Luhansk regions.

The meeting of the Economic Working Group was dedicated exclusively to the issues of water deliveries across the line of contact in the conflict zone.

The sides also gave a thorough consideration to the aspect of the exchange of detainees. They made significant efforts to facilitate the release and exchange of conflict-related detainees by the end of the year, and thereby implement the decision of the Normandy Summit in this regard. More steps are yet to be taken to fully implement these expectations.

And now, a few general remarks. Since 2017, the annual death toll among civilians has declined from 87 to 18 persons. Last year, among the reported casualties, there were eight children – the largest number in the past four years. This current year, not a single child fatality has been reported. On this occasion again, let me stress that even one human casualty is one too many.

This year, we have also made progress with regard to the disengagement of forces and hardware in Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote and Petrivske, including mine clearance and the removal of fortifications.

I would like to highlight our recent achievement – the repaired bridge in Stanytsia Luhanska. Recently, I personally visited the site three times and could not help but be fascinated by the speed of the repair and restoration works. If you remember, during the past three years I had advocated for a significant improvement of the conditions at this crossing point.

The restored bridge in Stanytsia Luhanska has substantially improved the conditions for crossing the line of contact, especially for elderly people. This winter will be the first one without broken arms and legs from the going down and up the slippery wooden ramps.

Finally, of course, I would like to recall that in October this year the TCG accepted the text of the so-called ‘Steinmeier formula’.

This is my last statement to the press as Special Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office. After four and a half years, I leave this post by my personal wish. This post has been a great honor and an even greater responsibility for me.

I am also grateful to my home country, Austria, for supporting me in that capacity.

I am sincerely grateful to my partners in the TCG – Leonid Kuchma and Boris Gryzlov. I thank all the Coordinators of the Working Groups: Ambassadors Ertuğrul Apakan and Yaşar Halit Çevik, Ambassadors Pierre Morel, Toni Frisch, Ulrich Brandenburg and Mr. Per Fischer, as well as all the delegates, and, of course, my teams in Kyiv and Minsk.

I am also grateful to you, journalists, for your dedicated interest and tireless efforts to convey information on our work to the public. Although, I must admit that sometimes the information from our part was rather scarce.

Certainly, I would like to express my special gratitude to the Republic of Belarus for its sincere hospitality and support.

Today my successor, Ambassador Heidi Grau, is here in Minsk. Next time, she will present the results of the TCG meeting to you. I wish her all the best in her future work.”