MINSK, 15 March (BelTA) – Current situation in the east of Ukraine does not contribute to the success of the Minsk process, OSCE's special representative in the trilateral contact group ambassador Martin Sajdik told reporters on 15 March.
“The current situation does not contribute to the success of the Minsk process. It is on the contrary. The recent events have escalated the tension between the sides and have a definite adverse impact on the mutual rapprochement and economic cooperation,” Martin Sajdik said. He stressed that “this dangerous downwards spiral should be immediately stopped.”
On 15 March, the meeting of the trilateral contact group also discussed the security issues, including the observance of the ceasefire, the withdrawal of heavy weaponry, the withdrawal of weapons and forces, and the protection of civilians and vital infrastructure.
On the humanitarian level, the meeting continued discussions on the release of the persons detained in connection with the conflict. Special attention was paid to the creation of the third-party mechanism to verify the willingness of the released citizens to remain on the territory where they were located during the detention. The discussions of the issue continue.
The matter of the protection of civilians, especially children, was also on the agenda of the meeting. Martin Sajdik reminded that in March, Head of the International Red Cross Committee Peter Maurer visited Ukraine to discuss the organization's further participation in providing humanitarian aid to the civilians in the conflict zone.
