UN chief Guterres welcomes announcement of adherence to ceasefire in eastern Ukraine

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has welcomed yesterday's announcement of an agreement on adherence to a ceasefire in eastern Ukraine, in accordance with the Minsk Agreements, by 1 April, and on the disengagement of forces and hardware in Stanytsia Luhanska by 6 April.

A statement from his spokesman said that the Secretary-General welcomed the announcement by the Trilateral Contact Group – a group of representatives from Ukraine, the Russian Federation, and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) – 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,” said the statement.

Further to the statement, Mr. Guterres further urged the parties to do their utmost to ensure the safety and security of the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission.

“The Secretary-General reiterates the UN's full support for the efforts of the OSCE, the Trilateral Contact Group and the Normandy Four, and calls on all concerned to intensify their diplomatic efforts in this context,” the statement concluded.