Donetsk, Jan 18 – DAN. The first talks of the political working group of the Contact Group in 2019 yielded no result, the DPR Foreign Ministry said after the meeting of the Contact Group in Minsk on January 17.
"The first meeting of the political working group this year, unfortunately, has not yielded any result. The Ukrainian side kept ignoring recommendations of the OSCE coordinator on supplying written position on the agenda points. First of all, the position on a compromise mechanism of the Donbass special status law enactment and amnesty."
The DPR and the LPR tabled a number of practical issues to discuss to enact the Steinmeier formula during the meeting. Even additional time was allocated for a less formal discussion in an attempt to finally unblock the talks.
"Nevertheless, Ukraine's representatives refused any discussion on the agenda, ignored the additional time prerogative and failed to put forward any appropriate and meaningful arguments on the agenda," the DPR Foreign Ministry said.
The Contact Group and its subgroups met for the first time in 2019 on January 17. The key issues for discussion were as follows: adherence to ceasefire, disengagement of forces, prisoner swap, search for missing persons, operation of the Vodafone mobile carrier, the Steinmeier formula, etc. *ot