Obviously, the additional measures signed and implemented by the parties to the conflict to enhance and control the effective truce are yielding positive results, DPR Plenipotentiary Representative and Foreign Minister Natalya Nikonorova commented on the outcome of the Contact Group’s meeting on August 19.
“Those few violations, which are registered as violations of certain clauses of the additional measures, are dealt with via the coordination mechanism through the JCCC offices of the parties, as well as with the assistance of the OSCE SMM, which monitors, verifies and makes public objective facts of violations of the parties 24/7.
We have made public our monitoring information on all the facts of violations by the AFU, in particular the positional violations within the area for withdrawal of forces and weapons near Petrovskoye, which the OSCE SMM registered, as well as attempts to build up positions near the water main in the area of Shumy.
In the near future, we expect that the Mission will verify the elimination of violations within the disengagement area in the reports, as well as the results of the monitoring of the real situation in the Shumy area.
We expect that the Ukrainian side will show even more will to ensure that violations of the ceasefire and the additional measures for its enhancement and control will fully end and the long-awaited peace will finally come to Donbass,” Nikonorova stressed.
The members also discussed issues related to updating the documents of the Contact Group on demining operations.
“As the result of the agreement reached at the meeting of the working group on security issues, we have sent an updated draft Decision of the Contact Group on demining activities, which, in fact, only removes time restrictions of the existing document and the link to 12 areas previously worked out. This draft accordingly elevates the Decision to the status of a framework decision, which will only allow further harmonization of the new supplements on mine clearance sites, as is the case with the Framework Decision on Withdrawal of Forces and Weapons.
It is now quite feasible to sign the draft, as well as its supplement with 20 new areas, provided that all coordinates have been agreed upon, which will then allow implementing the instruction of the Normandy Four concerning the humanitarian demining
However, at the moment we expect the promised written confirmation from the Ukrainian delegation of its obligation to address the Verkhovna Rada with a request to cancel the fourth clause of the decree on the regular local elections, which is inconsistent with the Minsk Agreements.
Accordingly, as soon as we receive the confirmation from official representatives of Kiev under what treaties and what process agreement can be reached, for example, on demining or withdrawal of forces and weapons, we will sign these drafts. We hope Ukraine will take concrete steps, which are especially important today to maintain positive trends in the established truce,” the DPR Plenipotentiary specified.
The next meeting of the Contact Group is scheduled for September 2.
