OSCE says 2018 to be crucial for implementing Minsk agreements

MINSK, Jan. 18 (Xinhua) -- The OSCE's special representative in the Trilateral Contact Group on Ukraine Martin Sajdik said on Thursday that the year 2018 will be crucial for implementing the Minsk agreements.

Following the Contact Group meeting in Minsk, Sajdik said that the trilateral contact group on Ukraine remains the only permanent format for resolving the conflict in Ukraine's east.

According to Sajdik, after 15 months of interruption, the prisoners exchange took place on December 27, 2017. He noted that the conflicting parties in east Ukraine can reach an agreement even on the most complicated problems if there is political will.

The diplomat said the number of ceasefire violations in the conflict zone in Ukraine were significantly reduced during the holiday period.

Sajdik added that taking care of security and the necessary conditions for civilians in the conflict zone will be priorities for the trilateral contact group and its subgroups in 2018.

The next meeting of the Contact Group on Ukraine will be held on January 31.

The trilateral contact group is a group of representatives from Ukraine, Russia and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) that was formed as means to facilitate a diplomatic resolution to the war in the Donbas region. Enditem