News and press releases

BAKU, 19 June 2017 – The Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group (Ambassadors Igor Popov of Russia, Stephane Visconti of France, and Richard Hoagland of the United States of America), together with the Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, Ambassador Andrzej Kasprzyk, traveled to the region in June. The main purpose of the Co-Chairs’ visit was to discuss the position of the Sides towards the next steps in the Nagorno-Karabakh peace process after the trilateral ministerial meeting in Moscow (28 April) as well as the overall situation in the conflict zone...

The SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations in Donetsk region and more in Luhansk region compared with the previous reporting period. It confirmed one man had died following shelling of government-controlled Sukha Balka and that two people had been injured in a suspected mine explosion in Bairak. The Mission continued monitoring the disengagement areas; it recorded ceasefire violations near the Stanytsia Luhanska and Zolote disengagement areas and observed construction inside the latter. Its access remained restricted there and elsewhere* The Mission saw weapons in violation of withdrawal lines. It continued to facilitate and monitor repairs to power lines between Almazna and Zolote. The SMM visited three border areas not under government control. The Mission observed a protest against the re-naming of streets under the de-communisation process in Kyiv...

The SMM recorded more ceasefire violations in Donetsk region, including more explosions compared with the previous reporting period. In Luhansk region the Mission registered more ceasefire violations, but fewer explosions compared with the previous reporting period. The Mission continued monitoring the disengagement areas; an SMM unmanned aerial vehicle spotted that 12 anti-tank mines previously observed at the edge of the Zolote disengagement area were no longer present.

The SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations in Donetsk region and more in Luhansk region compared with the previous reporting period. The Mission continued monitoring the disengagement areas and recorded ceasefire violations inside those near Stanytsia Luhanska and Zolote. Its access remained restricted in these areas and elsewhere.* The Mission saw weapons in violation of withdrawal lines in government-controlled areas and weapons missing from storage sites and holding areas on both sides of the contact line. It continued to facilitate and monitor repairs to power lines between “LPR”-controlled Almazna and Kalynove-Borshchuvate. The SMM monitored two border areas not under government control...

The SMM recorded more ceasefire violations in Donetsk region and fewer in Luhansk region, compared with the previous reporting period. The SMM confirmed civilian casualties in Petrovskyi district of Donetsk city and in its Trudovskyi settlement and observed damage caused by shelling to civilian properties in Trudovskyi and Zolote-4. The SMM continued monitoring the disengagement areas; it observed ceasefire violations near Zolote disengagement area. Its access remained restricted there and elsewhere.* The Mission facilitated and monitored repairs to Vasylivka water pumping station and to high voltage power lines between Mykhailivka and Almazna.

The office of the OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities (HCNM) and the Ministry of Culture of Ukraine organized a conference on “Integration with respect to diversity: legal standards and good practices from across the OSCE region” on 13 June 2017 in Odessa. Participants discussed two

VIENNA, 14 June 2017 – Austria’s Deputy Foreign Minister, Michael Linhart, today reaffirmed his country’s commitment and support to the OSCE as he joined the Organization’s Secretary General, Lamberto Zannier, in signing a Headquarters Agreement between the Republic of Austria and the OSCE...