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29 January 2020, 19:29

Additional areas for separating forces in Ukraine's Donbass discussed in Minsk

MINSK, 29 January (BelTA) – The subgroup on security of the trilateral contact group on Ukraine continued discussion in Minsk on 29 January in order to determine additional areas for separating forces and assets. The matter will be on agenda of the next meeting as well, BelTA learned from the OSCE special representative in the trilateral contact group on resolving the situation in Ukraine's east Heidi Grau.

According to the source, today's meeting of the trilateral contact group and its subgroups focused on implementing results of the Normandy summit in Paris. Evaluating the overall situation in the conflict zone, Heidi Grau noted that the number of ceasefire violations in January 2020 still remains lower than last year's average. “However, the number of civilian casualties has increased in comparison with late 2019 according to the OSCE's special monitoring mission to Ukraine. Mines and shelling remain the key reason,” she said. The diplomat urged the warring sides to take all the necessary measures to observe the ceasefire regime and step up mine clearance efforts. She stressed the need to ensure secure and reliable access of the OSCE's special monitoring mission in accordance with its mandate. All these factors are key conditions for preventing civilian casualties and for peacefully resolving the conflict.

The attention of the humanitarian subgroup was focused on missing persons. The International Committee of the Red Cross and other international organizations are still deprived of complete and unconditional access to all the captives despite the agreements reached by the Normandy Four leaders.

The subgroup on economic affairs focused on water supply across the conflict line. The payment of pensions was discussed as well as mobile communications. The subgroup on political affairs continued discussing the special status of certain areas of Donetsk Oblast and Lugansk Oblast and the implementation of the Steinmeier formula into Ukrainian legislation.

The trilateral contact group on resolving the situation in Ukraine's east will reconvene on 12 February.

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