MINSK, October 29. /TASS/. It took Russia and the European security watchdog OSCE serious efforts to see to it that the disengagement of forces at the designated sections in Donbass be resumed on Tuesday, Boris Gryzlov, Russia’s chief negotiator at the Contact Group on the settlement of the situation in eastern Ukraine, told journalists.
"The central topic of the Contact Group’s meeting was disengagement of forces in Zolotoye and Petrovskoye," he said after the meeting. "I would like to recall that disengagement at these sections is a major step towards security in Donbass and part of Kiev’s commitments within the Normandy format."
"The disengagement of forces in Zolotoye that began today is another step towards security and peace in Donbass," Gryzlov stressed. "It took the mediators — Russia and the OSCE — serious efforts to have the disengagement begin. Donbass was ready for this process back on October 7, as was agreed by the Contact Group. But Ukrainian troops broke down the process back then and only did harm to Ukraine."
The Russian negotiator added that the Contact Group had also agreed the date for disengagement in Petrovskoye.
"I think that in case of successful disengagement of forces at these two sections the Contact Group opens up a possibility for a meeting of the Normandy Quartet leaders," he stated.