Chairperson-in-Office Lajčák, Secretary General Greminger lead OSCE farewell ceremony for Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine Chief Monitor Apakan

VIENNA, 30 May 2019 – The OSCE bid farewell to the Chief Monitor of the Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine (SMM), Ambassador Ertuğrul Apakan, at a meeting of the Permanent Council in Vienna today with addresses by OSCE Chairperson-in-Office Slovakia’s Minister for Foreign and European Affairs Miroslav Lajčák and OSCE Secretary General Thomas Greminger.

Speaking about the significance of Ambassador Apakan’s role as the first Chief Monitor of the SMM, Minister Lajčák noted: “Five years ago, he took on the challenge of a lifetime. And he did so without knowing what, exactly, it would entail. We were in unchartered waters. But, Ambassador Apakan steered us through them. And he did so with many achievements along the way.”

The OSCE Chairperson-in-Office presented Ambassador Apakan the golden medal of the Slovak Minister for Foreign and European Affairs, the highest recognition of the Slovak Foreign Service.

Noting that today’s meeting could not distract from the fact that people continue to suffer from the crisis in and around Ukraine, Minister Lajčák called on attendees to honour Ambassador Apakan’s legacy as Chief Monitor by simply living it. This, he said, meant “putting people - and the need to end their suffering – first”.

OSCE Secretary General Greminger presented the outgoing Chief Monitor with the OSCE Medal.

“As the Chair of the Permanent Council when Switzerland’s OSCE Chairmanship launched the SMM in 2014, I remember well your arrival in Kyiv,” recalled the Secretary General. “Your leadership was a critical ingredient in the rapid rollout and steady expansion of the largest field operation in the history of the OSCE.”

“The trust you have inspired throughout Ukraine, and among our international partners, created a strong foundation for the SMM to operate effectively. I commend – and am inspired by – your personal commitment to the people of Ukraine, and your devotion to ensuring that our efforts remain focused on helping civilians in conflict-affected areas,” he said.

Apakan thanked the OSCE and the participating States for their continuous support.

“In the most difficult situations, when immediate security or operational responses were needed, I always felt the guidance of the OSCE Chairmanships, the support of the Secretariat, and the attention and care of the participating States,” he said. 

“Every day our monitors interact with the people, every day they speak to civilians at the contact line, crossing entry-exit checkpoints, going about their lives. We speak with those that continue to work for their communities, to maintain connectivity despite divides. We speak with civil society, authorities, and security actors. This ceremony is a celebration of the work of the hundreds of dedicated men and women, international and Ukrainian, that are part of the SMM. I pay tribute to all of them.”

The previous day at an informal meeting of the Permanent Council, Apakan told representatives of the participating States that although much remained to be done to end the crisis, he was hopeful. “I arrived in Ukraine when the streets around Maidan were still a testimony to recent events,” he said. “I leave the country with the hope that a sustainable ceasefire will soon be a reality.”

Apakan, former Undersecretary of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Turkey, will be succeeded as SMM Chief Monitor by Ambassador Yaşar Halit Çevik, also of Turkey.

The SMM, the OSCE’s largest field presence, was established by an OSCE Permanent Council decision on 21 March 2014. It contributes to reducing tensions and fostering peace, stability and security; supporting the implementation of all OSCE principles and commitments; and facilitating dialogue on the ground in order to reduce tensions and promote normalization of the situation.