"The agreement on the withdrawal of tanks, artillery under 100mm and mortars up to 120mm in eastern Ukraine reached yesterday (29 September) within the Trilateral Contact Group's working group on security is a positive step forward,” reads the statement by the Spokesperson of High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs Federica Mogherini, published on September, 30, an UNIAN correspondent in Brussels reported.
The EU official also noted that “the withdrawal would strengthen the ceasefire, which has been largely holding since 1 September 2015, and contribute to the complete implementation of the Minsk agreements in full respect of Ukraine’s independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity.”
Read alsoDPR envoy: Smaller-caliber arms withdrawal signals end of war“To this end, it will be essential that the OSCE SMM is granted full, safe and unrestricted access to all areas and weapon storage points so as to carry out its mandate. Ahead of the Normandy Summit in Paris on October 2, it is now crucial to advance on the implementation of other provisions of the Minsk agreements, notably on local elections," the statement reads.
As UNIAN reported earlier, on September 29, the Trilateral Contact Group with participation of OSCE special representative Martin Sajdik, Ukraine’s representative Leonid Kuchma and Russian representative Azamat Kulmukhametov signed an agreement on withdrawal of weapons of under 100mm caliber in the Donbas conflict zone.
