Memorandum on stabilizing ceasefire another important step towards de-escalation, OSCE Chairperson-in-Office says

From the official Website of OSCE, 20.09.14:

BERN, September 20 2014 – Didier Burkhalter, OSCE Chairperson-in-Office and Swiss Foreign Minister, noted with satisfaction the signing of a Memorandum on 19 September, 2014, outlining the parameters for the implementation of the cease-fire commitments laid down in the Minsk Protocol of 5 September 2014.

The signature took place at a further meeting between the Trilateral Contact Group of senior representatives of Ukraine, the Russian Federation and the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, and representatives of certain districts of the Donetsk and Lugansk regions, which took place in Minsk on that day. Burkhalter called the Memorandum a significant step towards making the cease-fire sustainable and an important contribution in the efforts to peacefully settle the crisis in Eastern Ukraine……………….
Among the nine provisions included in the Memorandum, a line between the armed formations is established which serves as reference point for the withdrawal of military personnel and all types of arms, weapons and ammunition. Within an area of 15 kilometers on both sides of the line there shall be no military units or their weapons or ammunitions. Any offensive actions shall be prohibited. All foreign armed formations, military equipment as well as combatants and mercenaries shall be withdrawn from the Ukrainian territory. There was also agreement on the monitoring of the provisions of the Memorandum by the Special Monitoring Mission of the OSCE which is already operating on the ground in Ukraine. Expressing his gratitude to OSCE participating States for the monitors put at the SMM’s disposal, he asked for their further support in terms of additional experts and financial resources.

Burkhalter expressed his expectation that the Memorandum would bring relief to the suffering populations in the affected areas. He concluded by calling upon all sides to help consolidate the path of de-escalation.
osce.org
20/9/14
—
–
Related:

• Contact group on Ukraine signs ceasefire implementation memorandum, –(MINSK MEMORANDUM, 20.09.14)

• Ukraine’s government and pro-Russia rebels have agreed a memorandum on a peace plan for the eastern conflict.(20/9/14)
• Ukraine, pro-Russian rebels agree on ceasefire (from 18:00, September 5) / Statement of President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko
• MINSK MEMORANDUM

1. Ceasefire is to be considered bilateral.

2. Military elements and military formations shall be stopped at their contact line as of September 19.

3. Usage of all kinds of weapons and offensive actions are prohibited.

4. Within 24 hours after the approval of this memorandum weapons with a calibre of more than 100 millimeters shall be moved at least 15 kilometers away from the contact line on both sides, including from the residential areas, which would create an opportunity to establish a 30-kilometers buffer zone.

5. Deployment of heavy weapons and heavy equipment in the region confined by the residential areas [Kuchma did not specify which areas are listed in the memorandum] is prohibited.

6. Placing of mine barriers at the border of the buffer zone is prohibited. Mine barriers that were placed earlier within the buffer zone shall be removed.

7. Flights of operational aircrafts and foreign aerial vehicles except for the vehicles of the OSCE over the buffer zone are prohibited.

8. In the ceasefire zone the OSCE monitoring mission, consisting of the group of the organization’s observers shall be deployed within 24 hours after the approval of this memorandum. It is desirable that the above mentioned zone shall be divided into sectors. The number of the sectors’ borders shall be negotiated in the course of the preparation to the work of the OSCE monitoring mission’s group of observers.

9. All the foreign armed groups, military equipment, as well as fighters and mercenaries shall withdraw from the Ukrainian territory under the supervision of the OSCE.

[ http://www.ellanodikis.net/2014/09/parties-at-minsk-talks-agree-on.html ]