7395th Security Council meeting on Ukraine

European Monitoring Mission Chiefs, Briefing Security Council, Describe Turning Point in Ukraine of Further Progress towards Peace or Conflict’s Escalation
7395th Meeting (AM)

• Categories: Meetings & Events / Security Council
• Video Length: 00:21:13
• Production Date: 27 February 2015
• Asset Language: Arabic; Chinese; English; French; Russian; Spanish
• Corporate Name: ORGANIZATION FOR SECURITY AND COOPERATION IN EUROPE - OSCE
• Subject Topical: PEACE AND SECURITY
• Geographic Subject: UKRAINE
• MAMS Id: 1307441
• Parent Id: 1306902

Description

Strong United Nations Support Urged for Mission Whose Duties ‘Come Close’ to Those of Peacekeeping

There had been a significant reduction of hostilities in Ukraine, another release of detainees, and the beginning of the withdrawal of heavy equipment from the line of separation in accordance with the Minsk accords, senior officials of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) told the Security Council today, cautioning, however, that those developments were only the beginning of a process.

“We seem to be at a crossroads where we are facing the risk of a further escalation of the conflict or where common sense, responsibility and humanity shall prevail,” Heidi Tagliavini, Chair of the OSCE’s Trilateral Contact Group, told the 15-member body via video-conference from Kyiv. (The Trilateral Contact Group is made up of the Russian Federation, Ukraine and the OSCE.)

Also speaking from Kyiv was Ertuğrul Apakan, Chief Monitor of the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission, who said that, over the past two days, there had been indications that both sides were now taking steps to comply with their responsibilities under the Minsk package.

He said that OSCE monitors had begun overseeing the movement of heavy weapons away from the line of contact on several instances, although they were not able to establish the origin or final places for storage. “However it is only the beginning of a process and we encourage the sides to take more steps in this direction”.

Before concluding the meeting, the representative of China, Council President for the month of February, thanked members and staff for their support in facilitating business during a “busy month”. He offered best wishes to the delegation of France, which would assume the presidency in March.

The meeting began at 10:07 a.m. and ended at 10:30 a.m.