Russian, German diplomats call for 1,000 OSCE observers for Ukraine
| Publisher | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty |
| Publication Date | 6 March 2015 |
| Cite as | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Russian, German diplomats call for 1,000 OSCE observers for Ukraine, 6 March 2015, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5509419215.html [accessed 19 May 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
March 06, 2015
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and German counterpart Frank-Walter Steinmeier have called on the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) to double the number of observers it has in Ukraine to 1,000.
The two ministers spoke by telephone on March 6. Following the conversation, Russia's Foreign Ministry issued a statement that said Lavrov and Steinmeier "called on the OSCE to make a quick decision on extending the mandate of its special monitoring mission and ramping up its size to 1,000 observers."
Meanwhile, the representatives of Russia, Ukraine, Germany, and France met in Berlin on March 6 as part of continuing efforts to resolve the conflict in eastern Ukraine.
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Grigory Karasin said after the meeting, "All of us, except the Ukrainian representative, agreed that we should focus on strengthening the role of the OSCE mission and the Contact Group."
The latest cease-fire agreement from last month has eased fighting in eastern Ukraine but the process remains fragile and scattered violations of the cease-fire continue to be reported.
Based on reporting by AFP, Interfax, and TASS
Link to original story on RFE/RL website
