News and press releases

Compared with the previous reporting period, the SMM recorded more ceasefire violations in Donetsk region and no ceasefire violations in Luhansk region. The SMM recorded ceasefire violations near the Petrivske disengagement area and noted that a piece of unexploded ordnance previously observed near the road inside the Stanytsia Luhanska disengagement area had been removed. The SMM saw weapons in violation of the withdrawal lines on both sides of the contact line. The Mission monitored adherence to the ceasefire to enable repair works to essential civilian infrastructure in both Donetsk and Luhansk regions. Restrictions of the Mission’s access continued in all three disengagement areas. It was also restricted at checkpoints near Popasna, Verkhnoshyrokivske and in Staromykhailivka...

The OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina concluded a workshop for the promotion and implementation of the 2019 Community Cohesion Action Plan on 1 March 2019 in Trebinje.

VIENNA, 1 March 2019 – The Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group (Igor Popov of the Russian Federation, Stéphane Visconti of France, and Andrew Schofer of the United States of America) met with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan in Yerevan on 20 February and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev in Baku on 21 February to discuss preparations for a meeting of the leaders in the near future, including possible topics for discussion. The Co-Chairs also held discussions with the Foreign Ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan in their respective capitals. The Co-Chairs were joined by the Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, Andrzej Kasprzyk...

16 representatives of the Akimats (regional administration) of 14 regions of Kazakhstan responsible for the work of the regional commissions on combating illegal export, import and trafficking in human beings took part in an OSCE-supported training seminar on combating human trafficking, which concluded on 1 March 2019 in Almaty, Kazakhstan. Representatives of law enforcement bodies and non-governmental organizations also participated in the two-day event, which was jointly organized by the OSCE Programme Office in Astana, the United States Embassy in Kazakhstan and the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan.

KYIV, 28 February 2019 – OSCE PA President George Tsereteli (MP, Georgia) and Treasurer Doris Barnett (MP, Germany) have wrapped up a two-day visit to Kyiv where they were on a pre-electoral visit ahead of the observation mission to be deployed for the 31 March presidential election...

Compared with the previous reporting period, the SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations in both Donetsk and Luhansk regions. The SMM followed up on reports of three men who sustained shrapnel wounds following the explosion of a device near government-controlled Hrodivka. The SMM saw anti-tank mines and military hardware on the road inside the Zolote disengagement area and recorded ceasefire violations near the same area. The SMM saw weapons in violation of the withdrawal lines in non-government-controlled areas of both Luhansk and Donetsk region. The Mission monitored adherence to the ceasefire to enable repair works to essential civilian infrastructure in both Donetsk and Luhansk regions, as well as the recovery of human remains from an area in Luhansk region close to the contact line. Restrictions of the Mission’s access continued in all three disengagement areas. It was also restricted at a heavy weapons holding area in Donetsk region, at a checkpoint near Popasna and, on three occasions, at a checkpoint near Verkhnoshyrokivske. In Odessa, the SMM monitored a gathering in front of the Consulate General of the Russian Federation...

An OSCE-organized photography and photojournalism master class for persons with disabilities took place from 22 to 26 February 2019 in Ashgabat...