New reintegration minister names tasks in TCG, assigned by Zelensky

That’s according to her comment voiced for Dom TV, Ukrinform reports.

The next TCG meeting, set to be held on November 10, will be the first one for the newly appointed senior official. The main task set by Ukraine’s top leadership is to take care of citizens living in temporarily occupied areas.

"I heard from Mr. President the tasks he set for me as delegate to the TCG. Of course, this is about the people. This is about concern for these people, this is about a humanitarian component. Of course, we will also talk about political aspects. But first of all, as Minister of Reintegration, I have to think about the people living in the temporarily occupied territories, those who are now suffering on the line of contact. They want us to help them. We must reach out to them, we must hear them out and help them," Vereshchuk said.

She also listed areas of work that could be made more effective. One of them is the unimpeded access of Red Cross representatives to the affected populations in the temporarily occupied areas.

"Of course, the Minsk process doesn’t imply political decisions. They are made within the Normandy Four process. It is the level of leaders. It is unfortunate that the Minsk process yields no results even at the operational and tactical level, where we could agree, for example, to ensure that the International Committee of the Red Cross had access to our military held (in the occupied territories - ed.) and for whose release we have been waiting; that the Red Cross had access the sick ones who require assistance," the minister added.

In addition, the Ukrainian government continues to insist that the occupation administrations open entry-exit checkpoints on the line of contact, as well as that the issue is resolved of pensions and vaccination of citizens in the temporarily occupied areas.

"Of course, we would like the checkpoints to be opened. We understand how important this is. It is both a matter of vaccination and issues related to pensions. But now the Russian side is blocking any steps taken by Ukraine to help people in both the temporarily occupied territory and the territory on the line of contact," Vereshchuk said.

However, in order to discuss the topic substantively, the deputy prime minister must attend at least one meeting of the TCG.

"I’d like to see how everything’s happening, I’d like to hear people who make decisions today or those who act to the detriment of the people in those areas where they turn to us and can't get help. When international organizations, when leaders of countries that have promised to be mediators can't solve a seemingly simple human question, I’d really like to listen to the arguments of the other side. And when I hear it all, I will be able to analyze (the TCG’s work - ed.) and tell people of how we move and what our logic is," Vereshchuk concluded.

As Ukrinform reported earlier, on November 4, the Verkhovna Rada appointed Iryna Vereshchuk Deputy Prime Minister, Minister for Reintegration of the Temporarily Occupied Territories of Ukraine. Prior to that, the position was held by Oleksiy Reznikov, who was appointed Minister of Defense.

On November 5, President Volodymyr Zelensky removed Defense Minister Reznikov from the Ukrainian delegation to the Trilateral Contact Group, appointing Andriy Kostin as acting first deputy head of the Ukrainian delegation.

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