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OSCE representative notes lack of progress in prisoner exchange in Donbass

Xinhua, June 2, 2016 Adjust font size:

The talks on Ukraine held on Wednesday in Minsk by the Trilateral Contact Group made hardly any substantial progress in the exchange of prisoners in the eastern Ukrainian region of Donbass, an official of a European security organization said.

Differences again stalled progress after parties to the last talks held on May 18 in the Belarussian capital failed to move forward on the issue.

The next Contact Group talks in Minsk are scheduled for June 15.

Local election, water, power and gas supply and pension payment were among other issues discussed during the routine talks.

In addition, participants suggested a possible transfer of orphaned children from conflict areas.

After the Wednesday talks, Martin Sajdik, special representative of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), told reporters that the security subgroup meeting discussed measures to guarantee the ceasefire in Donbass, including establishment of safety zones along the contact line.

An overall ceasefire, brokered by the Trilateral Contact Group on Ukraine, namely the OSCE, Ukraine and Russia, came into force at the end of last April in Donbass, two years after armed conflicts between Ukrainian government troops and anti-government forces broke out there. Endi