News and press releases

The Observer Mission (OM) continues to operate 24/7 at both Border Crossing Points (BCPs). The overall number of border crossings by persons increased at both BCPs compared to the previous week...

BAKU, 5 March 2019 – Concluding his visit to Azerbaijan today, OSCE Chairperson-in-Office and Slovakia’s Minister for Foreign and European Affairs, Miroslav Lajčák, welcomed the decrease in violence on the Line of Contact and on the international border, and discussed further perspectives for progress towards a comprehensive peace agreement for the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, as well as co-operation between the OSCE and Azerbaijan.

A set of guidelines, developed with OSCE support, that elaborates rules, ethical standards and guidance on how to moderate readers’ comments on internet portals was presented to the Montenegrin public on 4 March 2019 in Podgorica...

Compared with the previous reporting period, between the evenings of 1 and 2 March, the SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations in both Donetsk and Luhansk regions. Compared with the previous 24 hours, between the evenings of 2 and 3 March, the Mission recorded more ceasefire violations in both Donetsk and Luhansk regions. The SMM observed fresh damage to civilian properties from shelling in Pikuzy. The Mission recorded ceasefire violations inside the Zolote disengagement area. The SMM saw weapons in violation of the withdrawal lines near Lysychansk. Restrictions of the Mission’s access continued in all three disengagement areas, near Izvaryne, at a border crossing point outside government control, in non-government-controlled Pikuzy and again at a checkpoint near government-controlled Popasna...

The Border Security and Management Unit of the OSCE’s Transnational Threats Department met with Montenegro’s Deputy Minister of the Interior, Milanka Bakovic, and her technical team during a country visit on 28 February and 1 March 2019 to facilitate the country’s participation in the Public Key Directory of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO PKD) – a central repository simplifying and facilitating the fast and secure authentication of electronic passports at borders...

• Compared with the previous reporting period, the SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations in Donetsk region and more in Luhansk region. • The Mission followed up on reports of an injured man in Donetskyi. • The Mission spotted refurbishment of military positions inside the Petrivske disengagement area. • 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 and elsewhere, including again at a checkpoint near Popasna.*

Supporting the economic empowerment of women in vulnerable situations in Armenia was the topic of discussion at an OSCE meeting held on 1 March 2019 in Yerevan. The event was part of the Organization’s overall efforts to promote social cohesion, stability and security by tackling socio-economic inequalities.