Initially, Ukrainian and Russian human rights officials met on Monday during the prisoner exchange between the two sides.
Dmytro Lubinets, the Verkhovna Rada Commissioner for Human Rights, met with Tatyana Moskalkova, the Russian Commissioner for Human Rights, during the swap for more than 200 prisoners of war.
Moskalkova Post a video of the meeting on Telegram. It is unclear where exactly the exchange took place.
In the video, Lubinets and Moskalkova approach each other on a deserted highway, shake hands, and briefly exchange opinions.
“Today is the day when civilian sailors will return home,” Moskalkova Lubinets said. “It is also important that we ensure we have safe corridors for our work with the evacuees. We have a few questions, but the most important thing is that all their documents are returned to them. So this is what I have come to you for today, and I am here to help in case an evacuee or refugee is in need. to a specific document or confirm his identity.”
“It is an important human aspect in terms of social rights,” she said.
“We are exchanging lists,” replied Lubinets, “and I’m asking you to work through them and be in touch about what’s possible.”
Most importantly, we have activated the process of civilian exchange in our country. I’m sure you want this as much as we do.”
“Surely everyone is interested in this path forward,” Moskalkova said.
In a summary of the meeting published on Telegram, Moskalkova said that she “met for the first time with the Commissioner for Human Rights of Ukraine Dmitry Valerievich Lubinets. We had a constructive dialogue and agreed to continue working to ensure the proper treatment of prisoners, continue to work for future exchanges, protect the rights of civilians, and find out the fate of people the missing “.
Lubinets, On his Telegram account“The need for negotiations is the humanitarian field,” he said.
“We talked in particular about the need to intensify the repatriation of prisoners of war and the release of civilian hostages,” he said.
He said that the two discussed, among other things, the need to “develop ways to visit prisoners of war, inspect their places of detention, both in the territories controlled by the Russian Federation and Ukraine” and “a comprehensive search for missing persons.”
They also discussed Ukraine’s desire to visit prisoners of war held in Olenivka, which is located in an occupied part of the Donetsk region.
“At the end of the meeting, it was agreed to send official letters to implement the tasks discussed related to the protection of human rights,” Lubinets said.
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