Time has come for a sustained cease-fire and meaningful progress in implementation of Minsk Agreements, says OSCE Secretary General on visit to Ukraine

Kyiv, 12 September 2015 – Completing a three-day visit to south-eastern Ukraine, OSCE Secretary General Lamberto Zannier expressed hope that the current cease-fire, which has been largely respected for almost two weeks, will prove durable and provide the necessary impetus to negotiations on the implementation of the Minsk Agreements.  “The people of eastern Ukraine are tired of the conflict and deserve a firm commitment from all the sides to achieve sustainable peace”, said Zannier.

The objective of the Secretary General’s regular visits to Ukraine is to assess first-hand the situation on the ground and discuss next steps with the Special Monitoring Mission (SMM), national and local government officials, as well as to meet with representatives of civil society and media.

On 10 September, Zannier and Chief Monitor Ertugrul Apakan visited the SMM’s Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) base west of Mariupol, where they observed a UAV flight and were briefed by the team which manages and operates the UAVs.

The Secretary General and the Chief Monitor also met with Mariupol Mayor Yuriy Khotlubey. The mayor praised the work of the SMM, especially its swift and thorough action in the immediate aftermath of the rocket attack on his city in mid-January 2015. He also spoke about the burden of caring for several thousand Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs).

On 11 September, Zannier and Apakan visited the eastern neighbourhood of Mariupol that had been targeted in the attack, and met with teachers and school children. He expressed his solidarity and condemned all attacks on residential areas. They also travelled to Observation Point #1, located between Shyrokyne and Berdyansk, where monitors familiar with the area briefed them on the situation.

“The priority now is to achieve progress in the implementation of the Minsk Agreements. The OSCE's role in this regard, through the OSCE Chairmanship’s Special Representative in the Trilateral Contact Group Martin Sajdik, is to facilitate the talks and monitor respect of the agreed measures.  The Organization will also assist in the normalization of living conditions through activities such as demining. But it is now up to the sides to seize the opportunity and reach a durable solution to end the vicious cycle of violence”, concluded Lamberto Zannier.

On 12 September, the OSCE Secretary General met with Ukraine’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Pavlo Klimkin.  He also participated in the annual Yalta European Strategy meeting (YES) in Kyiv.  As one of the panelists discussing “Ukraine’s East and Crimea: Solving the Unsolvable”, Zannier expressed the feeling that the crisis in and around Ukraine had entered a more positive phase.  “I hope that we can consolidate the cease-fire now. Preparing for the withdrawal of tanks, artillery systems up to 100mm and mortars up to and including 120mm is the next step, and the OSCE stands ready to play an active role in facilitating the process and monitoring and verifying its implementation”.