10 Apr 2019 21:28

Videoconference to agree on Donbas 'Easter truce' slated for April 18 - Deinego

LUHANSK. April 10 (Interfax) - A videoconference of the security subgroup of the Trilateral Contact Group (TCG) on the settlement of the conflict in Donbas to agree on the "Easter truce" on the contact line in Donbas is scheduled for April 18, Vladislav Deinego, foreign minister of the self-proclaimed Luhansk People's Republic (LPR), said.

"It was not possible to agree on the Contact Group's statement on the 'Easter truce' today in Minsk. A videoconference of participants in the working group on security issues will be dedicated to this matter, it is scheduled for April 18," the Luhansk Information Center cited Deinego as saying.

The LPR foreign minister said he hopes for a fruitful dialogue during the slated videoconference of the security subgroup.

During the discussion of additional measures of control over the ceasefire in Donbas, the Ukrainian side attempted to link the ceasefire issues "to the OSCE SMM's patrolling of the territories, which are in a hundred kilometers away from the separation line," he said. However, "it is pointless in the context of control over the parties' observance of the ceasefire," Deinego said.

"In the end, no results have been achieved," he said.

OSCE Special Representative to the TCG Martin Sajdik confirmed later that the Contact Group will agree on the details of the "Easter truce" in Donbas on April 18.

"As a result, the TCG concurred that it is necessary to declare the 'Easter truce' and agreed to hold an additional videoconference on April 18 to formalize the details of this truce," Sajdik told journalists in Minsk on Wednesday.

Experience has shown that the most important thing for an efficient and lasting truce is the parties' political will, he said. "If it is present, it is easy to do," Sajdik said.

Additionally, the security subgroup discussed extra security measures and humanitarian demining on Wednesday, he said.