News and press releases

CHISINAU, 5 September 2014 –Special Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office for the Transdniestrian Settlement Process Ambassador Radojko Bogojević and Head of the OSCE Mission to Moldova Ambassador Michael Scanlan today urged the need for continued regular, direct contacts between Chisinau and Tiraspol to make as much progress as possible on concrete issues that affect peoples’ lives on both sides of the Dniester/Nistru River...

Bern, August 29, 2014- Swiss Foreign Minister and OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, Didier Burkhalter, expressed great concern about the spreading of military confrontation to further areas in eastern parts of Ukraine and the respective escalation of tensions. He also said that reports about growing flows of military personnel and military equipment from the Russian Federation into Ukraine were greatly troubling and must be thoroughly investigated. He recalled that the territorial integrity of Ukraine and its sovereignty had to be respected and preserved by all sides and at all times, adding that failure to do so would contravene international law and fundamental principles of the OSCE.

CHISINAU, 29 August 2014- The holding of the upcoming 5+2 talks would send a positive signal on the prospects of reducing tensions, the Special Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office for the Transdniestrian Settlement Process Ambassador Radojko Bogojević said today as he concluded his visit to Chisinau and Tiraspol...

BERN / MOSTAR, 29 August 2014 – Didier Burkhalter, Swiss Foreign Minister and OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, congratulated the Presidents of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Montenegro and Serbia for being the first signatories of a declaration on the issue of conflict-related missing persons...

VIENNA, 23 August 2014 – On behalf of the Swiss OSCE Chairmanship, Ambassador Thomas Greminger, Chair of the OSCE Permanent Council, expressed his heartfelt condolences to the Government of Lithuania and the family of Mykola Zelenec, the Honorary Consul of Lithuania, who was murdered by illegally armed groups in Luhansk. The perpetrators must be brought to justice, Greminger underlined, and condemned the tragic murder. This is another sad indicator that violence in the east of Ukraine must be ended and that all needs to be done to de-escalate the situation urgently in order to find back to meaningful dialogue, Greminger concluded.

BERN, August 23, 2014 – Deploring that the agreement by Ukraine and the Russian Federation on the modalities of delivering the convoy aid was not implemented in good faith, Didier Burkhalter, Swiss Minister of Foreign Affairs and OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, called on all parties to exercise maximum restraint and refrain from any actions which could contribute to the further escalation of the situation. Stressing that humanitarian aid had to be delivered in accordance with humanitarian principles and in full respect of Ukrainian sovereignty, Burkhalter urged all sides to help transform this convoy aid into a cooperative endeavor again.

BERN, 8 August 2014- OSCE Chairperson-in-Office and Swiss Foreign Minister, Didier Burkhalter, welcomed today’s announcement by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) that it would step up activities for the affected population in deteriorating humanitarian and security environments and deploy additional teams...