A regular meeting of the Trilateral Contact Group (Ukraine, Russia, OSCE) was held in the format of a video conference with the participation of representatives of certain districts of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions of Ukraine as part of the Ukrainian delegation.
During the discussion, the Ukrainian party in the TCG stressed the importance of establishing a sustainable and comprehensive ceasefire.
A number of proposals submitted by the Ukrainian party were discussed within the working group on security issues. They concerned, among other things, demining and security for the civilian population, new disengagement points and ensuring a sustainable ceasefire. The group's moderator, Ambassador Yaşar Halit Çevik, noted the constructive nature of the dialogue.
The Ukrainian delegation emphasized the need to ensure full and unimpeded access of the OSCE SMM to the entire temporarily uncontrolled territory. Only in the period from June 1 to June 23, 2020, 39 cases of non-admission of OSCE SMM observers to the territory not controlled by the Government of Ukraine through the checkpoints along the official road corridors crossing the delimitation line were recorded.
The Ukrainian party stressed its willingness to provide the necessary security guarantees and full assistance to the OSCE SMM to investigate the incident with damage to the surveillance camera of the Special Monitoring Mission near Shyrokyne (the Donetsk region), which occurred on June 22, 2020 as a result of shelling from the territory uncontrolled by the Government of Ukraine.
The Ukrainian party offered to hold an additional meeting of the security group to achieve progress in the issue of disengagement of forces and assets in the project areas until the next meeting of the TCG.
Due to the efforts of the Ukrainian delegation within the working group on socio-economic issues, the work of the Ukrainian mobile network operator in ORDLO of Ukraine was resumed after a two-week break.
The Ukrainian party initiated the discussion of approaches to solving environmental problems in ORDLO of Ukraine. In particular, it raised the issue of safe storage of radioactive materials in ORDLO of Ukraine and the possibility of forming a group of experts under the auspices of the IAEA to monitor the situation. The delegation also raised the issue of ensuring water supply in the conflict zone.
In the framework of the working group on political issues, the Ukrainian delegation provided the parties with a calendar plan for the preparation and holding of local elections within the period established by law.
It was reiterated that the holding of elections in ORDLO of Ukraine is possible only after a comprehensive de-escalation, withdrawal of foreign military units and equipment, disarmament of illegal armed groups and restoration of control over the state border in the conflict zone by the Ukrainian government.
Advisers of the Ukrainian delegation to the TCG - representatives of certain districts of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions of Ukraine in the political group took an active part in these consultations.
The humanitarian group discussed the coordination of lists for the mutual release of captives. The Ukrainian party continues to insist on an "all-for-all" release.
The Ukrainian delegation reiterated willingness to open two new checkpoints in the Luhansk region for humanitarian purposes, and provide security guarantees for the period of construction of checkpoints’ infrastructure by the temporarily occupied territories subject to actual work.
The next round of consultations within the TCG is scheduled for July 8.
The Ukrainian party is doing everything possible to implement the agreements of the leaders of the countries participating in the Normandy format reached in Paris on December 9, 2019 to ensure the holding of the next summit in Berlin as soon as possible.
Summing up the discussion, the OSCE moderator, Ambassador Heidi Grau, commended the intensification of the work of the Ukrainian party, noting that it contributed to the work of all TCG groups.