News and press releases

In its final report on the October 2017 municipal elections in the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) recommends further review of the legal framework. The report, published on 19 January 2018, adds that such a review should be

The SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations in Donetsk region and more in Luhansk region compared with the previous reporting period. The Mission continued monitoring the disengagement areas near Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote and Petrivske; it recorded ceasefire violations near the Stanytsia Luhanska disengagement area. The SMM’s access remained restricted in all three areas and elsewhere, including at a checkpoint near Staromykhailivka and near Olenivka.* The Mission observed weapons in violation of withdrawal lines near Vodiane and Bohoiavlenka. It facilitated and monitored repairs to a fiber optic cable near Shchastia. The SMM visited a border area not under government control. The Mission monitored public gatherings in Kyiv and Kharkiv.

KRAKOW, 18 January 2018- The Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group (Igor Popov of the Russian Federation, Stephane Visconti of France, and Andrew Schofer of the United States of America), together with the Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office Andrzej Kasprzyk, met with Foreign Minister of Armenia Edward Nalbandian on 17 January and Foreign Minister of Azerbaijan Elmar Mammadyarov on 18 January. The Co- Chairs met jointly with the two Foreign Ministers on 18 January.

The SMM recorded more ceasefire violations in Donetsk and Luhansk regions compared with the previous 24 hours. The Mission continued monitoring the disengagement areas near Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote and Petrivske; it recorded ceasefire violations near the Petrivske disengagement area. The SMM’s access remained restricted in all three areas and elsewhere, including at a checkpoint near Verkhnoshyrokivske.* The Mission observed weapons in violation of withdrawal lines near Svobodne. It followed up on reports of power outages in Betmanove and Slovianoserbsk. The SMM visited two border areas not under government control. The Mission monitored public gatherings in Kyiv.

VIENNA, 17 January 2018- A spirit of inclusiveness, transparency and co-operation will guide the work of Slovakia’s Chairmanship of the OSCE Forum for Security Co-operation, said State Secretary of the country’s Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs Lukáš Parízek at the Forum in Vienna today...

A team of election experts from the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) presented the final report of the ODIHR limited election observation mission for the two-round presidential election in Mongolia, on 26 June and 7 July 2017, during a visit to Ulaanbaatar on 16 and 17 January 2018.

VIENNA, 17 January 2018 – The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Harlem Désir today, in a letter to Minister of Foreign Affairs Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu, called on the Turkish authorities to ensure that the Constitutional Court decision in the cases of imprisoned journalists Mehmet Altan and Şahin Alpay is implemented and that the journalists are released without any further delay...