News and press releases

BERN, 5 September 2014- OSCE Chairperson-in-Office and Swiss Foreign Minister Didier Burkhalter welcomed today’s agreement in Minsk on a ceasefire and on launching a political process to resolve the crisis. Emphasizing the opportunity to finally reverse the logic of escalation, he said that this conflict had caused far too much bloodshed and misery already and urged all sides to implement today’s commitments. Burkhalter also commended the work of the Trilateral Contact Group and thanked his Special Representative Ambassador Heidi Tagliavini for her untiring work...

SARAJEVO, 5 September 2014 – The Head of the OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina, Ambassador Jonathan Moore, today met Foreign Minister of BiH Zlatko Lagumdžija, to discuss the role of the OSCE in the country and the Mission’s future work in key areas...

VIENNA, 5 September 2014 – Following the continued intimidation of members of the media in Ukraine, most recently a series of abductions of journalists covering the conflict in the eastern part of the country, OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Dunja Mijatović today again said that the attacks on journalists must stop...

MOSCOW, 5 September 2014 – OSCE Parliamentary Assembly President Ilkka Kanerva (MP, Finland) met with Russian State Duma Chairperson and Head of the Russian Delegation to the OSCE PA Sergey Naryshkin at the conclusion of his visit to Moscow today...

CHISINAU, 5 September 2014 –Special Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office for the Transdniestrian Settlement Process Ambassador Radojko Bogojević and Head of the OSCE Mission to Moldova Ambassador Michael Scanlan today urged the need for continued regular, direct contacts between Chisinau and Tiraspol to make as much progress as possible on concrete issues that affect peoples’ lives on both sides of the Dniester/Nistru River...

The situation in Mariupol and the surrounding area raises concern due to increased military activity, primarily to the east of Mariupol city. Reportedly, heavy fighting in the area of Shyrokyne (24km east of Mariupol city) and Bezimenne (34km east of Mariupol city) is taking place. Local residents are nervous and fear that Mariupol may be attacked soon.

In Kharkiv the monument to Cossack Ataman Ivan Sirko, which had been inaugurated on 23 August 2014, was vandalised during the night of 2 September. Footage of the monument painted green was circulated in the local media...