OSCE Chair-in-Office welcomes Ukraine agreement

 BERN, 21 February 2014 - Didier Burkhalter, Swiss Foreign Minister and Chairperson-in-Office of the OSCE, has welcomed the agreement reached between the parties regarding the settlement of the crisis in Ukraine.

“The agreement is an important step towards the end of violence and the solution of the conflict,” Burkhalter said. He appealed to all sides to ensure its implementation and stick to the agreed settlement.

He congratulated all sides on their work to make this breakthrough possible, including the contribution of the Polish, German and French Foreign Ministers and the Special Envoy of the Russian Federation.

The OSCE offers its support and expertise in implementing the agreement, Burkhalter confirmed. “The OSCE Chairmanship is looking into options for the Organization to support the implementation of the agreement. I reconfirm the OSCE’s readiness to assist Ukraine in every way possible, including through the observation of elections and efforts to establish facts on acts of violence and human rights violations. Given the urgent need to rebuild trust between all parties involved, an OSCE role as impartial witness and guarantor to the implementation of concrete steps agreed between the parties could also be envisaged”.