MINSK, 30 September (BelTA) – Representatives of the OSCE, Russia and Ukraine signed additions to the Minsk Agreements concerning the withdrawal of tanks and weapons with the caliber under 100mm on 29 September, OSCE special representative in the trilateral contact group on Ukraine Martin Sajdik told media on 29 September, BelTA informs.
“Today Leonid Kuchma [former president of Ukraine], Ambassador Azamat Kulmukhametov [representative of Russia] and I have signed additions to the set of measures,” Martin Sajdik said referring to the Minsk Agreements.
The special representative added that the document has not been yet signed by representatives of the self-proclaimed republics. They promised, however, that it would be done by those who name themselves heads of these territories in southeast Ukraine.
According to Martin Sajdik, the weapons will be taken 15km away from the contact line. The weapons to be withdrawn should include weapons with the caliber under 100mm and mine throwers with the caliber under 120mm. The withdrawal will be held in two stages. The first stage will kick off in two days after a complete ceasefire and will cover a big part of the security zone in Lugansk Oblast. “Tanks will be the first to withdraw. They will be followed by cannonry and mine throwers. The first stage will last for 15 days,” Martin Sajdik added. The second stage will take 24 days to withdraw weapons from the rest of the security zone.
The OSCE special monitoring mission will support the implementation of the document through its monitoring and verification. “Full details are in an additional supplement,” said Martin Sajdik.
“It is another important step to fulfill the agreements reached in Minsk,” he stressed. The special representative also expressed gratitude to all the participants of the working group on security. “They did what they should according to the Minsk Agreements,” noted Martin Sajdik.
