Interfax: OSCE mission in Ukraine may be increased to 500 observers – Russian envoy to OSCE

File Photo of OSCE Banners

MOSCOW. Sept 5 (Interfax) – The OSCE intends to increase the number of its observers in Ukraine to 500, which may be enough for monitoring a ceasefire observance in eastern Ukraine, in the nearest future, Russian permanent envoy to the OSCE Andrei Kelin said.

“We will begin recruiting in the nearest future. We may increase the mission [in Ukraine] to 500 people,” he told Interfax on Friday.

“It will probably be the needed number to be used in the reconnaissance and security zone, if such a zone is established in accordance with the agreements that may be reached [in the contact group meeting in Minsk],” the diplomat said.

The decision to send an OSCE Monitoring Mission to Ukraine was made by the OSCE Permanent Council on March 21. The first observers arrived there on March 25.

In accordance with the mission’s mandate, it is composed of 100 people and is stationed in ten Ukrainian cities: Kyiv, Donetsk, Dnepropetrovsk, Chernitsi, Luhansk, Odesa, Lviv, Kharkiv, Ivano-Frankivsk, and Kherson.

The mission is working at the request of the Ukrainian authorities and makes weekly reports on its work.

The monitors will be working for six months, but their mandate may be extended if an appropriate request is made by Ukraine.

The purpose of the mission is to study the current situation in the country, tension problems, human rights observance, freedom of travel, etc.

It took two days to approve the mission. There was a lot of debate on Item 6 of the mission’s mandate, which states the areas where the monitors will work. The document does not have any mention of the mission’s work in Crimea, which has become part of Russia.

 

Comment