Press Statement of Special Representative Kinnunen after the regular Meeting of Trilateral Contact Group on 9 February 2022

KYIV, 9 February 2022 – The Special Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office in Ukraine and in the Trilateral Contact Group (TCG), Ambassador Mikko Kinnunen, made the following statement to the press after the regular meetings of the TCG ‎and its Working Groups held through video conferencing:

“The TCG met in the middle of high-level international engagement and visits, including also the mission by the OSCE Chairman-in-Office, Polish Foreign Minister Zbigniew Rau, to Ukraine from 9 until 11 February.

The Political Working Group discussed a number of real, substantive issues related to the political settlement of the conflict.

I was saddened to learn about the first civilian casualty of the year, reported by the SMM in the Security Working Group. Regarding the Mission itself, increasing trend on constrains imposed on its operations continues. The Mission’s ability to provide impartial information contributes to our discussions as well as factual basis for our work.

In the Humanitarian Working Group, the participants discussed the opening of two new crossing points in Zolote and Shchastya of Luhansk region, easing of Covid-restrictions to facilitate the population’s freedom of movement across the contact line and questions around the release and exchange of detainees.

Economic Working Group discussed matters related to water supply as well as ecological issues, including  environmental hazards linked to flooding of mines along the line of contact.”