Welcoming New Agreement on Adherence to Ceasefire in Ukraine, Secretary-General Calls for Intensified Diplomatic Efforts

The following statement was issued today by the Spokesman for UN Secretary-General António Guterres:

The Secretary-General welcomes yesterday’s announcement by the Trilateral Contact Group of a new agreement on ensuring the full adherence to the ceasefire and the withdrawal of heavy weapons, in accordance with the Minsk agreements, by 1 April, and on the disengagement of forces and hardware in Stanytsia Luhanska by 6 April.

The fate of the civilian population remains of great concern.  The Secretary-General urges all parties to fully abide by their renewed commitment.  He hopes that this will enable further progress in the security, humanitarian, political and economic fields.  He further urges the parties to do their utmost to ensure the safety and security of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine.

The Secretary-General reiterates the United Nations full support for the efforts of OSCE, the Trilateral Contact Group and the Normandy Four, and calls on all concerned to intensify their diplomatic efforts in this context.