News and press releases

DUSHANBE, 11 April 2018 – High-ranking officials from the OSCE and the Tajik Government as well as civil society representatives convened to assess co-operation in 2017 and develop a joint programmatic vision for 2019 today in Dushanbe.

Officials from OSCE participating States in the Western Balkans shared good practices and challenges in the issuance and examination of travel documents with their counterparts from the European Union, Schengen states and associated countries during an expert meeting in Brussels on 11 April 2018.

BELGRADE, 11 April 2018 – OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, Harlem Désir, met with President Aleksandar Vučić today in Belgrade to discuss media freedom issues in Serbia during a three-day official visit to the country...

The SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations in Donetsk region and more in Luhansk region between the evenings of 6 and 7 April, compared with the previous reporting period. Between the evenings of 7 and 8 April, it recorded fewer ceasefire violations in both regions compared with the previous 24 hours. Between the evenings of 8 and 9 April, it recorded more ceasefire violations in both regions, compared with the previous 24 hours. The SMM followed up on reports of a civilian casualty in Dokuchaievsk and observed damage to civilian properties caused by shelling in Sakhanka. The Mission continued monitoring the disengagement areas near Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote and Petrivske; it observed ceasefire violations inside the Stanytsia Luhanska disengagement area. Its access remained restricted in all three disengagement areas, as well as, again, near Izvaryne, Dovzhanske and Voznesenivka (near the border with the Russian Federation), at a heavy weapons holding area in a non-government-controlled area, and in Staromykhailivka and Debaltseve.* The SMM observed weapons in violation of withdrawal lines on both sides of the contact line. The Mission observed over 600 anti-tank mines in total for the first time near Zaitseve, Marinka and Avdiivka. In Zakarpattia, the Mission monitored the security situation around locations associated with the Hungarian parliamentary elections. In Zaporizhzhia region, it saw the fishing ship Nord moored at port. The Mission observed Easter celebrations at churches in various cities throughout Ukraine.

On 6 April a meeting on how to improve co-ordination between state agencies and international organizations based in Kyrgyzstan in regard to project activities in the religious sphere took place in Bishkek. This event was conducted by the State Commission for Religious Affairs of the Kyrgyz Republic, with the support of the OSCE Programme Office in Bishkek.

Kamensk-Shakhtinskiy, Russian Federation. The Observer Mission (OM) continues to operate 24/7 at both Border Crossing Points (BCPs). The overall number of border crossings by persons decreased at both BCPs...

A two-day seminar on countering the use of the Internet for terrorist purposes, organized by the OSCE Centre in Ashgabat and the OSCE Secretariat’s Action against Terrorism Unit, began on 5 April 2018 in Ashgabat...