OSCE Special Representative Martin Saydik announced that a new round of Ukraine peace talks would take place on July 24, speaking from Minsk, Wednesday. The next round of talks between Ukraine, Russia, France, and Germany is to be held in the format of a teleconference.
Saydik also noted that despite “the ‘grain truce’, which was announced by the CSTO on June 21”, the OSCE monitoring group “continues to record violations of the ceasefire” near Donetsk airport, Mariupol, and Avdeevka.
SOT, Martin Saydik, OSCE Special Representative (Russian): “To start with, a few words about the so-called Malorossiya. Today, during the contact group, the representative of Russia confirmed his statement yesterday on this issue. Representatives of the Ukraine pointed to the reaction of President Poroshenko. Participants in certain regions of Donetsk and Lugansk regions confirmed their previous statements. From my side, I would like to turn your attention to the reaction of the Chair-in-Office and Austria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Sebastian Kurz. You can read his yesterday’s statement in Russian. And now let me speak about today’s negotiations between working groups. The security group noted that thanks to the ‘grain truce’, which was announced by the CSTO on June 21, the number of firing was reduced, but the special monitoring group continues to record violations of the ceasefire regime, mainly in the so-called hot spots near Popasnaya, Pervomaisk, Mariupol, Svetlodarsk and in the triangle of Avdeevka, Yasinovataya and Donetsk airport. Participants of this working group also returned to the issue of the protection of important infrastructure objects. The parties expressed their readiness to create security zones around the Vasilyevka pump station and the Donetsk filtering station. There was also a discussion about the withdrawal of forces and resources in the area of the village of Luganskaya. In this regard, I want to express my true hope for positive decisions ahead of the teleconference of the leaders of the Normandy talks on July 24.”