News and press releases

Kamensk-Shakhtinskiy, Russian Federation. The Observer Mission (OM) continues to operate 24/7 at both Border Crossing Points (BCPs). The overall number of border crossings by persons increased at both BCPs compared to the previous week...

VIENNA, 17 October 2017 – The Austrian OSCE Chairmanship closely followed the meeting of the President of the Republic of Armenia, Serzh Sargsyan, and the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, organized under the auspices of the Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group in Geneva on 16 October...

The SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations in Donetsk region and more in Luhansk region compared with the previous 24-hours. The SMM continued monitoring the disengagement areas near Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote and Petrivske and recorded ceasefire violations, including two explosions assessed as outgoing rounds, inside the Petrivske disengagement area, outside the reporting period. Its access remained restricted in all three areas and elsewhere, including to a weapons storage site in areas outside government control and in Ivanivka, towards an area close to the border with the Russian Federation. The Mission continued to monitor the withdrawal of weapons and observed weapons in violation of withdrawal lines near Zhelanne. Near Zernove the SMM saw a concentration of tanks and armoured combat vehicles, in a zone within which deployment of heavy armaments and military equipment is proscribed according to the Memorandum. The SMM observed the presence of mines, including east of Popasna, where it had previously seen demining activities. The Mission visited two border areas not under government control. The SMM monitored gatherings in Kyiv, Kharkiv and Dnipro...

The SMM recorded more ceasefire violations in Donetsk region between the evenings of 13 and 14 October compared with the previous reporting period and fewer between the evenings of 14 and 15 October compared with the previous 24 hours. In Luhansk region, the SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations between the evenings of 13 and 14 October compared with the previous reporting period and more between the evenings of 14 and 15 October compared with the previous 24 hours. The SMM continued monitoring the disengagement areas and recorded ceasefire violations near the Stanytsia Luhanska disengagement area. Its access remained restricted in all three disengagement areas and elsewhere, including near Pikuzy.* The Mission again observed anti-tank mines near Popasna. The SMM visited three border areas not under government control. In Kyiv, the SMM observed two large gatherings – one commemorating Defender of Ukraine Day, and the other for animal rights...

GENEVA, Switzerland, 16 October 2017- The President of the Republic of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan and the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev held a summit today in Geneva, Switzerland. Foreign Ministers Edward Nalbandian and Elmar Mammadyarov also attended the meeting, which was organized under the auspices of the Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group (Igor Popov of the Russian Federation, Stephane Visconti of France, and Andrew Schofer of the United States of America). The Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office Andrzej Kasprzyk also participated in the summit.

A training workshop on conflict management for the Montenegrin parliamentary services concluded on 13 October 2017 in Podgorica. The two-day workshop was organized by the OSCE Mission to Montenegro, in collaboration with the Parliamentary Human Resources department.

The SMM recorded more ceasefire violations in Donetsk region, including, however, a similar number of explosions, compared with the previous reporting period. In Luhansk region the Mission recorded a significant increase in ceasefire violations compared with the previous reporting period, mostly west-north-west of Kadiivka. The SMM continued monitoring all three disengagement areas; it recorded ceasefire violations near the Stanytsia Luhanska disengagement area. The SMM continued to facilitate and monitor demining activities inside the Zolote disengagement area as part of preparatory work to clear the road and possibly open a new entry-exit checkpoint. The Mission’s access remained restricted in the disengagement areas and elsewhere, including in Svobodne and Ozerianivka.* The SMM observed weapons in violation of withdrawal lines near Dovhe and Kalmiuske. It facilitated and monitored repairs and maintenance of essential infrastructure between Klynove and Novozvanivka, in Shchastia, near Artema, and between Zolote and Popasna. The SMM observed long queues at checkpoints near the contact line. In Kharkiv, the Mission monitored the security situation around a concert...