Personal Envoy Guldimann says situation in Crimea calm but very tense

KYIV, 6 March 2014 - The Personal Envoy of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, Ambassador Tim Guldimann, briefing media in Kyiv today, commended the Ukrainian authorities for their efforts to de-escalate the situation on Crimea, adding that “the situation is calm, but very tense.”

Guldimann, together with the High Commissioner of National Minorities, Astrid Thors, visited Crimea over the last two days and had the opportunity to meet with various stakeholders.

“It is a miracle that there has been no blood-shed yet,” he said.

Guldimann deplored the fact that, while in Crimea, he was not able to secure a meeting with Sergey Aksyonov and the commander of the Black Sea Fleet of the Russian Federation. He and Thors, however, had extensive talks with representatives from the Crimean Parliament as well as from public administration and civil society, including from the community of the Crimean Tatars. He also met with the representative of the acting Ukrainian President in Crimea.

Guldimann’s visit to Crimea, as well as various meetings with officials in Kyiv during his trip, were an essential step for preparations of further OSCE activities to assist Ukraine to overcome the crisis.