With humanitarian aid urgently needed, OSCE Chairperson calls upon all sides to render convoy aid a co-operative endeavor again

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 co-operative endeavor again.

In view of the increasingly precarious living conditions of the civilian population in the east of Ukraine, a return to co-operative and legitimate humanitarian efforts is now urgently needed, Burkhalter added. He closed by underlining that the OSCE, within its mandate and possibilities, would continue to support the efforts of the ICRC to operate in the region to the benefit of the people in need.