Photo: EPA/ANASTASIA VLASOVA

(VOVworld) - A decision in principle to demilitarize the village of Shirokino and to pull back medium weapons with calibers under 100 mm has been agreed by the Contact Group on the Ukraine crisis, Russia’s envoy to the Organization for Security and Cooperation (OSCE) in Europe, Andrey Kelin, told the media on Thursday. He called these tasks key tasks for the military affairs subgroup within the Contact Group. The diplomat expects that the plans will be finalized by the end of the month.

Former Ukrainian President Leonid Kuchma said at the group meeting on Wednesday and Thursday that a military sub-group will arrive at Ukraine’s Donbass border line to monitor the implementation of the Minsk peace deal and the pull back of heavy weapons there.  Alexander Hug, Deputy Chief Monitor of the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission in Ukraine, said at a press briefing on Wednesday that the Contact Group has agreed to prioritize documents on demilitarizing Shirokino and realize OSCE initiatives to pull back tanks and weapons with calibers of less than 100mm. He added that the next meeting of the Contact Group is scheduled for May 19^th.