On July 28, an unscheduled meeting of the working group for security was held via videoconferencing on the initiative of the Ukrainian side, the press service of the DPR Representative Office to the JCCC reports.
The agenda included the implementation of the additional measures signed by the parties to control the effective ceasefire, the use of a coordination mechanism of response to ceasefire violations with the assistance of JCCC in its current composition, the coordination of demining activities, as well as the withdrawal of forces and weapons, but the main purpose of the meeting was to discuss the coordination mechanism.
The representatives of Kiev once again attempted to withdraw from the implementation of the signed agreements for the sake of their own interests and to withdraw from the commitments undertaken. Thus, despite the well-defined clause (e) on the agreed additional measures on the involvement of the JCCC in “its current composition”, Ukraine attempted to interpret this wording differently than it is set out in the signed additional measures.
In turn, the official representatives of the Republics called on their opponents to proceed constructively and act guided by existing realities.
“The coordination mechanism comes in force only if the Ukrainian party and the representatives of the DPR and the LPR to the JCCC cooperate directly, only a prompt and direct cooperation between the parties to the conflict may bring real results. A procedure for the coordination of repair work has already been, as well as a liaison through which ceasefire violations are registered and their cessation is facilitated, but the rapid response is delayed due to the mediation of the OSCE SMM, as the ceasefire requires urgent decision-making and particular action on the ground, especially at night,” Alexey Nikonorov said.
In the near future, the parties will share their written proposals on interaction patterns for further work through the technical support center of the OSCE coordinator.
As for the discussion on the demining activities, Kiev representatives also refused to fully approve the list of 20 proposed mine clearance areas. The stand of the Ukrainian party has changed only with regard to two remaining seven proposals non-agreed with the LPR, so 15 locations have been compromised on, their updated coordinates will be considered at the next scheduled meeting of the working group.
The timing of the meeting was limited, so it was not possible either to discuss the issue of disengagement or to negotiate the draft Supplement to the Framework Decision.
