Minsk Deal to Remain in Force Until Completely Implemented - OSCE

The Minsk peace accords will be in force until they are fully implemented by the conflicting sides, the OSCE envoy to the Contact Group on Ukrainian reconciliation said.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — The Trilateral Contact Group on Ukrainian reconciliation will continue its work in 2016 with the first meeting set for January 13, Martin Sajdik, the OSCE envoy to the Contact Group said Tuesday.

Sajdik also reaffirmed after a fresh round of Contact Group talks in the Belarusian capital that the Minsk peace accords will be in force until they are fully implemented by the conflicting sides.

Two other meetings of the group are scheduled for January 20 and January 27 respectively, he added.

Commenting on the problems with the free movement of the OSCE monitors in Donbas, Sajdik noted the issue remained unsolved.

In April 2014, Kiev launched a military operation in Donbass, eastern Ukraine. The OSCE monitoring mission was deployed to the eastern Ukraine to observe the implementation of peace agreements reached by the two sides in the Belarusian capital of Minsk with mediation by Russia, France and Germany first in September 2014 and then in February 2015.