DUSHANBE, January 21, 2015, Asia-Plus BELGRADE, 20 January 2015 – Representatives of the OSCE 57 participating States adopted a Declaration calling for immediate ceasefire in Ukraine and the full implementation of the Minsk agreements at a special meeting of the Permanent Council in Vienna on January 20.
The Declaration confirms the firm conviction of all the OSCE’s 57 participating States that the cycle of violence and hostilities in eastern Ukraine cannot be settled on the battleground but only at the negotiating table.
In a Declaration OSCE participating States expressed their serious concern over the military escalation in recent days in eastern Ukraine and called for an immediate ceasefire by all sides and the full implementation of the Minsk Protocol of September 5, 2014, and Memorandum of September 19, 2014.”
Participating States also expressed their “full support” to the Special Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, Ambassador Heidi Tagliavini, and called upon “all signatories of the Minsk Protocol and Memorandum to meet as soon as possible in order to achieve practical progress on the full implementation of the Minsk agreements.”
Supporting all efforts that are being made to de-escalate the situation, including in the Normandy format, the Declaration emphasizes “that all sides should fully respect and ensure the safety and security of the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine (SMM) monitors on the ground, and fully co-operate with the Mission.”
