EU: agreement on small-caliber weapons withdrawal in Donbas «positive step»

The European Union called the agreement reached within the Trilateral Contact Group on withdrawal of small-caliber weaponsin the ATO zone a positive step forward, and urged to fulfill other Minsk agreements, in particular those regarding local elections.

"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.

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.”

“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.