Minsk - The participants in the negotiations of the contact group on Ukraine in Minsk have signed a memorandum envisioning that both parties to the conflict will stop using weapons, Ukraine's second president Leonid Kuchma, who took part in the negotiations, told reporters.
Kuchma said the memorandum has nine items.
“The first of them states that both parties will stop using weapons and the second provides that the units will stay in the positions in which they were on Sept.19. The third item prohibits the use of all types of weapons and offensive actions,” Kuchma told reporters after the meeting.
In addition, the negotiation participants agreed on the creation of a buffer zone in the conflict area in eastern Ukraine, which will be at least thirty kilometer wide.
“The memorandum envisages the removal of heavy weapons at a distance of at least 15 kilometers on each side, thus creating a security zone at least thirty kilometers wide,” Kuchma said.
The memorandum also envisages the removal from the contact line of heavy weapons and prohibits the use of heavy equipment near populated areas.
The meeting participants also agreed to ban the use of aviation and combat drone planes, Kuchma said.
“A ban has been imposed on combat aviation flights, including drone places, with the exception of OSCE drone planes. The use of foreign combat aircraft is also prohibited,” he said.
Kuchma also said the memorandum envisions the removal from the conflict area of all foreign military units. “The last item envisages the removal of all foreign military units from Ukraine. The document also envisions the removal f all so-called mercenaries,” Kuchma said.
The memorandum also prohibits the installation of new mines near populated areas and requires the removal of the already installed mines.
Kuchma also said “the memorandum envisages the deployment of groups of OSCE monitors along the entire Russian-Ukrainian border.”
Kuchma believes that ceasefire violations have been registered in the conflict area despite the agreements reached on Sept. 5.
“There were violations. The final decision has been made today. We will take the troops at a distance of 30 kilometers, which will ensure security,” Kuchma said.
OSCE official Heidi Tagliavini, for her part, said that the parties have reached an agreement on ceasefire monitoring in the earlier determined zone.
Ihor Plotnitsky, the head of the Luhansk People’s Republic, said he is hoping that the contact group will continue negotiations.
