Lukashenko's Donbas initiative not discussed at talks in Minsk - Sajdik
MINSK. Nov 6 (Interfax) - The Trilateral Contact Group (TCG) on Donbas did not discuss Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko's proposal regarding Ukraine, the special representative of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), Martin Sajdik, said.
Minsk's proposal to monitor the Ukrainian-Russian border and ensure the conduct of elections in Donbas was not discussed, Sajdik told journalists after the TCG meeting in Minsk on Tuesday.
The TCG welcomes Belarusian support, President Lukashenko's proposals suggest that Minsk will continue to support the negotiations on Ukraine, Sajdik said.
Sajdik also urged the warring sides in Ukraine to exercise restraint and refrain from ceasefire violation. According to the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission (SMM), the situation in the conflict zone in eastern Ukraine cannot be described as quiet, the level of ceasefire violation is relatively high, the OSCE representative said.
He urged all parties to prevent such a scenario and exercise utmost restraint.
He recalled that on October 27 the SMM lost its long-range drone in Donbas, and urged the signatories to the Minsk agreements to take all necessary measure to ensure the safety of the SMM staff and property and create proper conditions for their work.
The SMM in Ukraine is the OSCE's biggest and most expensive mission ever, Sajdik said. It is funded by taxpayers from all OSCE member states, which is another reason to provide a clear explanation of the loss of the drone, Sajdik said.