MINSK, 18 January (BelTA) – The Economic Working Group of the Trilateral Contact Group on resolving the situation in Ukraine's east has negotiated an audit of the Voda Donbasa water supply company for subsequent capital investment, Special Representative of the OSCE in the Trilateral Contact Group (TCG), Ambassador Martin Sajdik told reporters on 17 January, BelTA has learned.
The Economic Working Group discussed water deliveries in the Karbonyt and Voda Donbasa supply systems. “The parties agreed to hold an audit of the Voda Donbasa company with the help of the International Committee of the Red Cross. This is the major condition for capital investment,” Martin Sajdik said. The diplomat underlined that the Voda Donbasa company operates on both sides of the contact line and is vitally important for Donetsk Oblast.
Reviewing the results of the year 2018, Martin Sajdik noted that the number of civilian casualties in the conflict zone in Donbass more than halved compared with 2017. “It is an achievement. I believe that the loss of even one human life is too much,” he added.
He recalled that another truce was announced at the end of the year on the occasion of Christmas and New Year celebrations. “Therefore, the number of ceasefire violations from 29 December to the day before yesterday shrank nearly two times compared with the previous period. However, unfortunately, in recent days we have been seeing an upward trend,” he noted. As far as he knows, no civilian casualties have been reported.
The ceasefire was in focus of the discussion by the Security Working Group. Martin Sajdik urged the parties to take all reasonable steps to prevent casualties, keep vital infrastructure intact and maintain sustainable ceasefire in the future.
The Humanitarian Working Group discussed the exchange of detainees, among other things. The Political Working Group took forward its exchanges on the implementation of the ‘Steinmeier formula', amnesty and the modalities of local elections in Donetsk and Lugansk regions as stipulated by the Minsk agreements.
The next session of the Trilateral Contact Group is scheduled for 30 January.
