News and press releases

BELGRADE, 18 January 2015 – Following the severe and increased deterioration of the situation over recent days in the east of Ukraine, in particular at and around Donetsk Airport, the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, Serbia’s Foreign Minister Ivica Dačić today strongly condemned the use of force, expressed his utmost concern and urged all sides in Ukraine to use maximum restraint and work towards achieving a sustainable ceasefire.

The SMM continued to monitor the implementation of the provisions of the Minsk Protocol and Memorandum and the work of the Joint Centre for Control and Co-ordination (JCCC). The SMM observed a large number of ceasefire violations in the Donetsk region. The SMM conducted its third visit to the site of the incident causing the deaths of civilians on a bus in Volnovakha.

COPENHAGEN, 17 January 2015 – OSCE Parliamentary Assembly Secretary General Spencer Oliver met today with Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili, President Giorgi Margvelashvili, Minister of Foreign Affairs Tamar Beruchashvili, Parliament Chairperson David Usupashvili and other high-ranking government and parliamentary officials in Tbilisi for discussions that focused on recent political and security developments in the country and region...

VIENNA, 17 January 2015 – OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Dunja Mijatović today condemned the arrest of journalist Tomislav Kezarovski, following a two years prison sentence by the Skopje Court of Appeal.

KYIV, 16 January, 2015 – In response to media reports, the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine reaffirms that no participating States have withdrawn their monitors from the Mission in Ukraine.

The SMM continued to monitor the implementation of the provisions of the Minsk Protocol and Memorandum and the work of the Joint Centre for Control and Co-ordination (JCCC). The JCCC and “DPR” leadership agreed a special joint inquiry into the incident causing the deaths of civilians on a bus in Volnovakha. A number of ceasefire violations and military movements were observed by the SMM in Donetsk and Luhansk region. The SMM was unable to patrol the Donetsk airport. Shots were fired in the direction of the SMM in Chermalyk...

VIENNA, 16 January 2015 – OSCE Chairperson-in-Office and Serbian Foreign Minister Ivica Dačić discussed with the Heads of the OSCE Field Operations and Institutions yesterday in Vienna the key issues in the OSCE region in 2015.