News and press releases

YEREVAN, 3 April 2017 – The 2 April parliamentary elections in Armenia were well administered and fundamental freedoms were generally respected. Despite welcomed reforms of the legal framework and the introduction of new technologies to reduce electoral irregularities, the elections were tainted by credible information about vote-buying, and pressure on civil servants and employees of private companies, international observers concluded in a preliminary statement released today. This contributed to an overall lack of public confidence and trust in the elections, the statement says...

Twenty one officers from the Tajik border troops, ranked from warrant officer to major and mainly coming from border detachments at the Tajik-Afghan and Tajik-Kyrgyz borders, successfully completed a three-week training-of-trainers course on 31 March 2017. The event was organized by the OSCE Office in Tajikistan...

On 2 April, an SMM patrol composed of six members and two armoured vehicles was stationary (since 12:25) 50 metres west of the main Tsentralna street on the northern edge of “DPR”-controlled Sakhanka (24km north-east of Mariupol), in the parking lot of an uninhabited building. Three patrol members were outside the vehicles, and three were inside.

The SMM recorded more ceasefire violations in Donetsk region and fewer in Luhansk region compared with the previous reporting period. The Mission followed up on reports of civilian casualties in Yasynuvata and damage to houses and other civilian infrastructure from shelling and gunfire in Yasynuvata, Irmino, Sentianivka, Kadiivka, Molodizhne and Novooleksandrivka. The Mission monitored the disengagement areas near Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote and Petrivske, but its access there and elsewhere remained restricted

VIENNA, 31 March 2017 – OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, Austria’s Foreign Minister Sebastian Kurz, today joined the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs’ call for the sides to renew engagement in the political settlement process as expressed in their statement on 29 March...

The SMM recorded more ceasefire violations in both Donetsk and Luhansk regions compared with the previous reporting period. The Mission followed up on reports of civilian casualties and damage to houses from shelling in Donetsk city, Ivanivka, Chasiv Yar and Popasna. The Mission monitored the disengagement areas near Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote and Petrivske, but its access there and elsewhere remained restricted.* The SMM assessed impact sites inside the Stanytsia Luhanska disengagement area. It observed weapons in violation of the withdrawal lines on both sides of the contact line. The SMM followed up on reports of electricity outage in Avdiivka. The Mission visited five border areas currently not controlled by the Government. The blockade of railway routes continued. The SMM monitored the situation at consulates of the Republic of Poland after an explosion that occurred at the consulate in Lutsk in Volyn region. The Mission observed broken windows at three banks in Lutsk...

PRISHTINË/PRIŠTINA, 31 March 2017- The OSCE Mission in Kosovo will conduct a collection of votes operation, opening four collection centres with associated branches throughout Kosovo, with OSCE staff presence, on Sunday, 2 April 2017, in the context of the Serbian Presidential Elections...