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Contact group on Ukraine fails to agree on withdrawing forces in Donbass

Xinhua, July 28, 2016 Adjust font size:

The conflicting parties in eastern Donbass region of Ukraine failed to reach an agreement on pulling back the forces along the contact line, Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) Special Envoy Martin Sajdik said on Wednesday.

One of the key issues of the contact group meeting has not been resolved, Sajdik told reporters after the meeting of the contact group on Ukraine in Minsk.

He said he hoped that the relevant sides will reach a consensus at the next meeting in the Belarusian capital.

Sajdik also called on the conflicting parties in Donbass to implement all Minsk agreements by the end of this year.

"They expect the results from us in the fall. We extended the Minsk agreements at the end of last year, therefore, we should strive to implement an agreement this year," the special envoy stressed.

In order to peacefully settle the conflict in eastern Ukraine, concerned parties signed a ceasefire agreement in Minsk in September 2014 and then in February 2015, with representatives from Ukraine, Russia, France and Germany reaching a new agreement in the Ukrainian capital.

The next meeting of the contact group in Minsk is scheduled for Aug. 3. Endit