UKRAINE-CRISIS/TALKS Ukraine, rebels reach preliminary deal to broaden weapons withdrawal

Record ID: 146490

  • Title: UKRAINE-CRISIS/TALKS Ukraine, rebels reach preliminary deal to broaden weapons withdrawal
  • Date: 21st July 2015
  • Summary: MINSK, BELARUS (JULY 21, 2015) (REUTERS) (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) BELARUS FOREIGN MINISTER, VLADIMIR MAKEI, SAYING: "Today the main problem is a trust crisis among various OSCE member countries, when various states assemble at the OSCE council and limit themselves to insults and reproaches only, I do not think this is sensible behaviour that can help find a way out of a diffi
  • Embargoed: 5th August 2015 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Belarus
  • Country: Belarus
  • Topics: General
  • Reuters ID: LVACNQU1K5IKL6A40KBQZ6VVNVRF
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: Ukraine and pro-Russian separatists have reached a preliminary agreement to extend a pull-back of weapons in east Ukraine to include tanks and smaller weapons systems, the chairman of the OSCE security watchdog, Ivica Dacic, said on Tuesday (July 21).
    Under a ceasefire agreement brokered in Minsk, Belarus, in February, weapons of over 100 mm calibre are meant to have already been withdrawn, but both sides accuse the other of continuing to use heavy artillery and casualties are reported almost daily.
    The latest agreement on lighter weapons was reached at a meeting of the so-called "contact group" involving Ukraine, Russia and the separatists under the auspices of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe.
    Speaking in Minsk, Dacic said the deal still needed to be signed, but urged all sides to "completely cease attacking and respect a full ceasefire".
    "As I have been informed the agreement has been completely talked over and its finalisation is expected this evening," said Dacic.
    "I think a lot of work has been done, and I want to say that the text (of the agreement) has been talked over, and practical agreements have been reached on the withdrawal of tanks and types of arms less than 100 mm in calibre. And I hope our work will give an impetus toward furthering the peace process," he added.
    Representatives of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic and Luhansk People's Republic later made similar remarks to media at the talks venue.
    Leonid Kuchma, Ukraine's representative in the Contact Group who attended the talks, did not make any comments.
    Earlier, separatists said a civilian and a rebel fighter had been killed in shelling by Ukrainian forces in the past 24 hours, while Ukraine's military reported a serviceman had been killed in rebel attacks.
    More than 6,500 people have been killed since the conflict broke out in eastern Ukraine in April last year.
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