Donetsk, Dec 30 – DAN. Prisoner exchange between Ukraine and Donbass has become an important step on the way to peace settlement, said Mathias Bosshard, political adviser to the OSCE coordinator of the Contact Group's humanitarian subgroup ambassador Toni Frisch.
"Ambassador Frisch is very grateful and delighted over the POW swap happening before the yearend. This achievement is a political and humanitarian sign," he said.
Frisch was present yesterday at the exchange location.
The prisoner exchange took place on December 29 at the Gorlovka/Mayorskoye checkpoint. DPR received 61 people in exchange for 51 detainees.The total of 124 people came back to Donbass, 76 detainees were given to Ukraine.
The POW swap is one of the key articles of the Minsk Agreements. The commitment to the "all for all" exchange has been reconfirmed at the recent Normandy Four summit by the sides of the conflict. *ot