The ceasefire which has been in place since yesterday and the noticeable easing in the hostilities along the front line are an encouraging sign at the start of the school year which brings hope to school children and their families on both sides. However, it would not be the first time if the green shoots of hope were to be trampled on rapidly by interested parties.

I therefore call upon the parties to the conflict to continue to respect the ceasefire. A genuine and durable military de‑escalation would lend key impetus to the implementation of the Minsk agreements.

We must not slacken our efforts. It is crucial now that the agreements on withdrawing light weapons are finalised and the political talks continued as quickly as possible. A successful ceasefire and an improvement in the security situation are essential if the conflict is to be resolved.