News and press releases

VIENNA, 30 April 2014- Ambassador Hido Biščević of Croatia, Team Leader of the OSCE’s National Dialogue Project in Ukraine, addressed the OSCE Permanent Council today. He presented recommendations on how the OSCE can contribute to social cohesion and tolerance amid the current crisis...

Western and Central Ukraine, including Kyiv, as well the southern part of the country, remained calm. The situation in Kharkiv appears to be tense after an assassination attempt on the local mayor. The situation continued to be tense in Luhansk region and particularly tense in Donetsk region. The Special Monitoring Mission resumed operational activities in all its areas of operation with special security measures in place for Kharkiv, Luhansk and Donetsk.

KYIV, 29 April 2014- OSCE Secretary General Lamberto Zannier wrapped up a one-day working visit to Kyiv today amid escalating tensions, especially in the east of the country...

VIENNA, 29 April 2014 – OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Dunja Mijatović today denounced new cases of kidnapping and attacks on journalists, the recent takeover of a regional television station in Donetsk and illegal switching of broadcasts...

ALMATY, Kazakhstan, 29 April 2014 – A two-day Central Asian Forum on Internet development, co-organized by the OSCE Centre in Astana for the fifth consecutive year in co-operation with MediaNet International Centre for Journalism and the Konrad Adenauer Foundation began today in Almaty...

Western and Central Ukraine, including Kyiv, as well the southern part of the country, remained calm. The situation continued to be tense in the Luhansk region and particularly tense in the Donetsk region. Two Special Monitoring Mission monitors were temporary detained by the so-called People’s Militia of Donbas in Yenakiveve (55 km northeast of Donetsk. The situation in Sloviansk, where the military observers as well as accompanying Ukrainian military officers were taken captive, remains a source of concern.

BERN, 27 April 2014 – OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, Swiss Foreign Minister Didier Burkhalter condemned the detention of a group of military inspectors from OSCE participating States and of their Ukrainian hosts in Sloviansk in eastern Ukraine, and called for their release. One military inspector was set free today for health reasons, he confirmed. While this is a positive step, the OSCE continues to work at all levels – through the Special Monitoring Mission on the ground in Ukraine as well as through high-level political contacts – to assist for the release of all the detained persons, he said...