A full and comprehensive ceasefire crucial for success and implementation of security measures, says OSCE SMM Chief Monitor to OSCE Permanent Council
VIENNA, 13 December 2019 - The commitment undertaken at the Normandy Four Summit in Paris to achieve a full and comprehensive implementation of the ceasefire in eastern Ukraine by the end of 2019 is encouraging, said OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine (SMM) Chief Monitor, Yaşar Halit Çevik, in his address to the OSCE Permanent Council yesterday in Vienna.
“Progress on the ground is visible,” said Çevik. “The work done on the bridge and the surrounding areas near Stanytsia Luhanska has improved the conditions for the thousands of civilians crossing the contact line on daily basis.”
“In the Zolote and Petrivske disengagement areas, forces and hardware were withdrawn and the SMM has observed efforts for demining and dismantling of fortifications,” said Çevik.
The Chief Monitor stated that through enhanced presence, monitoring, reporting and dialogue facilitation, the SMM has been an integral element ensuring the progress achieved.