News and press releases

VIENNA, 12 July 2017 – The OSCE Permanent Council, in a special meeting today in Vienna, formally submitted the names of officials to fill four senior-level positions in the Organization to the foreign ministers of the 57 participating States for their confirmation...

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...

BRUSSELS, 12 July 2017- The Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group (Ambassador Igor Popov of the Russian Federation, Ambassador Stephane Visconti of France, and Ambassador Richard Hoagland of the United States of America) met on 11 July with the Foreign Minister of Azerbaijan Elmar Mammadyarov and the Foreign Minister of Armenia Edward Nalbandian to discuss modalities of further work on the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. The Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, Ambassador Andrzej Kasprzyk, also participated in the meeting...

The SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations in Donetsk region and a significant increase in ceasefire violations in Luhansk region compared with the previous 24 hours. The Mission followed up on reports of civilian casualties in Zaitseve and observed a fresh impact site in residential areas of Zolote-5. The SMM continued monitoring the disengagement areas and observed a calm situation. The Mission’s access remained restricted there and elsewhere, including to Nova Marivka.* It continued to facilitate and monitor repairs to the Mykhailivka-Almazna high-voltage power lines near Pervomaisk. The SMM visited one border area not under government control in Donetsk region. In Kyiv the Mission monitored a march by 200-250 participants...

MAUERBACH, Austria, 11 July 2017 – Dialogue, co-operation and compromise are crucial to addressing the security challenges facing Europe, OSCE Chairperson-in-Office and Austrian Foreign Minister Sebastian Kurz said today at an informal meeting of the foreign ministers of the OSCE’s participating States in Mauerbach, on the outskirts of Vienna...

Ergneti, 11 July 2017- The 79th meeting under the Incident Prevention and Response Mechanism (IPRM) was held in Ergneti. The meeting took place in a productive and forthcoming atmosphere.

Between the evenings of 7 and 8 July the SMM recorded more ceasefire violations, including more explosions in Donetsk region compared with the previous reporting period, and no explosions in Luhansk region. Between the evenings of 8 and 9 July the Mission recorded fewer ceasefire violations, including no explosions in Luhansk region, though more explosions in Donetsk region, compared with the previous 24 hours. The SMM assessed a fresh impact site in Pisky. The Mission continued monitoring the disengagement areas; it recorded ceasefire violations near the Zolote disengagement area and saw a white signal flare fired south of the Stanytsia Luhanska bridge. The SMM’s access remained restricted there and elsewhere, including to a heavy weapons holding area. The Mission observed weapons in violation of withdrawal lines near Novookhtyrka. It visited two border areas not controlled by the Government in Luhansk region...