MINSK, 21 September (BelTA) – A framework agreement on separating forces and assets as part of the effort to resolve the crisis in Ukraine was signed by the trilateral contact group in Minsk, BelTA learned from the Facebook page of Darya Olifer, press secretary of the Ukrainian representative in the trilateral contact group.
The agreement provides for de-escalation along the contact line and enables conditions prohibitive to small-arms fire. The framework agreement also provides for the full execution of the trilateral contact group's previous agreements on withdrawing weapons with the caliber of less than 100mm away from the contact line.
In line with the framework agreement on separating forces and assets the OSCE special monitoring mission will be put in charge of constantly monitoring and verifying the separation of forces and assets in designated areas.
The press secretary of the Ukrainian representative in the trilateral contact group pointed out that the forces will be separated only in three areas with clear coordinates. The Ukrainian side believes that ways to separate forces and assets along the entire contact line may be worked out in the course of implementation of the framework agreement.
In turn, the OSCE's special representative in the trilateral contact group Martin Sajdik told media that the document was signed after three months of hard work. According to the source, the subgroup on security affairs has managed to address all the issues relating to the three areas where the forces and assets will be separated. Those include the populated localities Zolotoye, Petrovskoye, and Stanitsa Luganskaya, said Martin Sajdik.
In his words, the framework agreement was also initialed by representatives of several districts of Donetsk Oblast and Lugansk Oblast.
