Didier Burkhalter visits the OSCE special monitoring mission in Ukraine
Bern, 11.04.2014 - Didier Burkhalter, Chairman-in-Office of the Organization for Co-operation and Security in Europe (OSCE), will travel to Ukraine on Monday to make a first-hand assessment of the work of the special monitoring mission which has been set up in the country to help reduce tensions and promote peace, stability and security.
In particular, he will visit the centres for training monitors, who are deployed to the different regions of Ukraine to gather information and evidence concerning the situation with regard to security, respect for human rights and minorities. Mr Burkhalter will also have talks with the Ukrainian foreign minister, Andrii Deshchytsia, and will meet the head of the OSCE special monitoring mission, Ambassador Ertogrül Apakan, who will assume his function in the coming days.
Mr Burkhalter aims to use his visit to underscore the constructive role played by the OSCE in the Ukrainian crisis and the organisation's intention to step up its efforts to contribute to de-escalating the tensions in the country. He will also make a field trip to one of the regions where the mission has been deployed.
The deployment of a special monitoring mission for an initial renewable period of six months was decided on 21 March by the OSCE Permanent Council in Vienna. On 2 April, the OSCE Chairmanship appointed Ambassador Ertogrül Apakan, from Turkey, as head of the special monitoring mission. His deputies are Mark Etherington, from the UK, and Alexander Hug, from Switzerland. The mission currently has a staff of 121, of which 85 are deployed as monitors in ten Ukrainian cities.
If necessary, the number of monitors can be increased to 500.
Four Swiss nationals, including Mr Hug, are taking part in the special monitoring mission.
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