Foreign Ministers of Benelux Countries visited the area of the Joint Forces Operation in Luhansk region

Openness and readiness for dialogue with foreign institutions is the main principle of Ukraine's activity in the international arena. Due to such principled activities, representatives of foreign states have the opportunity to get acquainted with the consequences of the Russian aggression in the eastern regions of Ukraine, as well as with the humanitarian situation on the line of demarcation.

Minister of Foreign Affairs, European Affairs and Foreign Trade and the Federal Cultural Institutions of Kingdom of Belgium Sophie Wilmès, Minister of Foreign and European Affairs of Luxembourg Jean Asselborn, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands Stef Blok visited Luhansk region in the area of the Joint Forces Operation. As part of this visit, the foreign delegation also visited the Schastye checkpoint. Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Vasyl Bondar, the leadership of the Joint Forces, the head of the region also visited this area.

Andrii Tyshkevych, Chief of the Operational and Military Department, spoke about the situation within the humanitarian road corridor across the demarcation line. He noted that the Schastye checkpoint built in November 2020  is an extremely comfortable and modern checkpoint. In the service area, citizens can use the services of CASPs, visit financial institutions, logistics offices. But during the 7 months of its operation, the Russian occupation forces did not allow a single person to enter the temporarily occupied territory or vice versa.

The Foreign Ministers also interested in the rules of operation of the checkpoint, the procedure for carrying out control and inspection operations, the level of passenger traffic as well as in the difficulties faced by citizens when crossing the demarcation line.

Andrii Tyshkevych also said that the occupants often conduct provocations. "Of course, the reaction of border guards is immediate - because the lives and health of people crossing the line of demarcation depend on us, as well as our servicemen and staff of other control services involved in the control of persons. The agency is sufficiently armed, and the military is prepared to respond appropriately and competently to any provocations from the enemy."

In turn, the Ministers assured that they will bring truthful information about the situation in Donbas to the European community and expressed full support on behalf of their governments.

The deliberate attention of foreign governments to the situation in Donbas is of utmost importance for Ukraine. After all, their support is perhaps the most important step towards stabilizing the situation in the conflict area and forming the concept of further struggle against the aggressor country.