The format of the Trilateral Contact Group negotiations in Minsk between representatives of Ukraine, the Russian Federation and the OSCE remains unchanged, Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Andriy Yermak emphasized.
“The format of the Trilateral Contact Group, which has two parties to the conflict - Ukraine and Russia, with the OSCE between them, has not changed. That is, we have not changed the Minsk format today in the political subgroup," the Head of the President's Office said during the Freedom of Speech of Savik Shuster program on Ukraine TV channel.
Andriy Yermak reminded that the Minsk process had already lasted six years, and the Minsk agreements were the only existing document in the peace process signed by Ukraine and supported by international partners, inter alia, through the introduction of sanctions against the aggressor on its basis.
At the same time, the Head of the President's Office noted that the Minsk documents signed by previous Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko stipulate that Ukraine must agree on a number of constitutional reform provisions, in particular with regard to decentralization, and issues related to local elections with representatives of certain districts of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions. And throughout the years, representatives of these districts have been present at the TCG meetings.
"For six years, the only representatives of the territories that are not TCG participants, but that are present, were people from the so-called LPR and DPR, with whom we as the authorities did not and do not intend to negotiate,” Andriy Yermak said.
In order to continue to advance in the Minsk process, but not to enter into direct negotiations with the representatives of the so-called LPR and DPR, the possibility of establishing an Advisory Board with the participation of internally displaced persons, which could inform their position within both the Trilateral Contact Group and the Normandy format, is being considered, Andriy Yermak said. It is planned that these should be exclusively well-known people reputable in Donbas with pro-Ukrainian position.