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DPR, LPR envoys give OSCE draft statement on results of Contact Group meeting in Minsk

Ukraine has not reacted yet, the Luhansk republic’s envoy, Vladislav Deinego says

Presidential residence, where Ukraine peace negotiations took place in Minsk, Belarus EPA/TATYANA ZENKOVICH

Presidential residence, where Ukraine peace negotiations took place in Minsk, Belarus

© EPA/TATYANA ZENKOVICH

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Talks of Contact Group in Minsk unscheduled for Friday — Belarusian Foreign Ministry

MINSK, December 26. /TASS/. The self-proclaimed Donetsk and Luhansk People’s Republics envoys have given the OSCE a draft statement on “steps forward” on the results of the Contact Group, which met in Minsk on December 24, the Luhansk republic’s envoy, Vladislav Deinego, said on Friday.

“Yesterday we gave the OSCE a draft protocol on the results of the meeting (on December 24) and the texts of the statement. Unfortunately, Ukraine has not reacted. In any case the OSCE has not informed us yet about Ukraine’s steps forward towards us,” Deinego said.

The content of the statement “is not for the press”, he said, adding that this was the document “on mutual steps forward."

“We’ll assume obligations and we expect Ukraine to unilaterally assume certain obligations,” Deinego said.

“We gave the text of the statement to coordinate it with the other party if it agrees or not. This is the attempt to reach any consensus,” he said.

The parties to the Ukrainian conflict agreed on the ceasefire and the exchange of prisoners during the OSCE-mediated talks on September 5 in the Belarusian capital of Minsk. The ceasefire took effect the same day but reports said it has occasionally been violated.

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Contact group on Ukraine signs ceasefire implementation memorandum

On September 20 in Minsk, the Trilateral Contact Group on Ukraine comprising representatives of Ukraine, Russia and the OSCE adopted a memorandum outlining the parameters for the implementation of commitments on the ceasefire in Ukraine laid down in the Minsk Protocol of September 5. The document contains nine points, including in particular a ban on the use of all armaments and withdrawal of weapons with the calibres of over 100 millimetres to a distance of 15 kilometres from the contact line from each side. The OSCE was tasked with controlling the implementation of memorandum provisions.

In order to implement the Minsk agreements the conflicting parties declared the “silence regime” in Donbas on December 9. Kiev and the self-proclaimed republics stressed the need to withdraw heavy weaponry, to carry out prisoner swaps and demilitarise the region.

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Ukraine crisis OSCE Donetsk Eastern Ukraine

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