Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe Chairperson-in-Office Didier Burkhalter has commended the Ukrainian parliament's adoption of two important laws regarding the special status of certain districts in Ukraine's Donetsk and Luhansk regions and 'the application of amnesty rules regarding activities in connection with events in the region,' the OSCE said on its Web site.
‘He [Burkhalter] also considered it an encouraging signal that numerous detainees from both sides have been released in the last few days. These were major steps that could pave the way towards a lasting solution of the crisis,’ it said.
‘Regarding the commitment reached in the Minsk protocol on ensuring the immediate cessation of the use of weapons, Burkhalter underlined the importance of stabilizing the ceasefire and avoiding any erosion of this commitment,’ the OSCE said.
‘A comprehensive ceasefire regime and a common understanding on the details of a monitoring mechanism need to be established,’ Burkhalter said.
‘The OSCE has been assisting in monitoring the ceasefire, as well as in verifying information and has doubled the number of monitors in eastern Ukraine since the ceasefire was established,’ the organization said.
Burkhalter also reaffirmed ‘the need of restoring effective control over the entire Ukrainian-Russian border as a key prerequisite for a lasting solution,’ the OSCE said.
‘In line with the Minsk protocol, particular attention should now be give to establishing a security zone along the border and effective monitoring of the border,’ the organization said.
