News and press releases

Bratislava, 8 February 2019 – OSCE Chairperson-in-Office and Slovak Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Miroslav Lajčák, today called the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Pavlo Klimkin to discuss the upcoming 31 March 2019 presidential election in Ukraine. Among various issues addressed by the ministers was the support of OSCE’s Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) in observing the upcoming election, provided in response to an official invitation from Ukraine.

Ergneti, 8 February 2019- The 91st Incident Prevention and Response Mechanism (IPRM) meeting was held today in Ergneti. Mr. Erik Høeg, Head of the European Union Monitoring Mission in Georgia (EUMM), and Ambassador Rudolf Michalka, Special Representative for the South Caucasus of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, co-facilitated the meeting, held in a constructive manner.

VIENNA, 8 February 2019 – The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, Harlem Désir, today welcomed a court decision in Northern Ireland recognizing journalists’ rights to protect the confidentiality of their sources...

• Compared with the previous reporting period, the SMM recorded more ceasefire violations in Donetsk region and fewer in Luhansk region. • The SMM observed recent impact craters in Pikuzy and Molodizhne. • It facilitated and monitored adherence to the ceasefire to enable repair works to essential civilian infrastructure in Donetsk region. • The Mission facilitated and monitored the transfer of persons convicted before the conflict from non-government-controlled to government-controlled areas in Luhansk region. • Restrictions of the SMM’s access continued in all three disengagement areas as well as in Novoazovsk, an area near the border with the Russian Federation.* • The SMM monitored a public gathering in Hlyboka district, Chernivtsi region, in relation to churches changing affiliation in the district.

VIENNA, 8 February 2019 – The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, Harlem Désir, today expressed his concern regarding the recent decision of the Supervisory Board of the public service company UA:PBC in Ukraine to dismiss Zurab Alasania from the chairmanship post at the organization...

Exploring new opportunities and sharing best practices in the fight against anti-Semitism was the focus of the first conference organized by Slovakia as 2019 OSCE Chair, which concluded on 7 February 2019 in Bratislava.

Warsaw, 7 February 2019 – Ingibjörg Sólrún Gísladóttir, Director of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), today expressed her regret over the decision by the Ukrainian authorities to block Russian citizens from taking part in the ODIHR election observation mission for the 31 March presidential election in Ukraine.