11:20 25.07.2014

U.S. wants OSCE observers to monitor not only two checkpoints on Russian-Ukrainian border

2 min read
U.S. wants OSCE observers to monitor not only two checkpoints on Russian-Ukrainian border

U.S. Ambassador to the OSCE Daniel Baer has said he is disappointed that Russia has agreed to accept international observers only at two small checkpoints on the border with Ukraine, according to a statement released by the U.S. representative on Thursday.

"The U.S. finds it deeply regrettable that the Russian Federation was only willing to take the minimal steps provided for in this decision," Baer said.

He said that "despite questions and requests from other participating states to expand the geographic scope of the observer mission, Russia would only accept a limited-scope mission, covering just two border checkpoints - which account for approximately one kilometer of the 2,300 kilometer border."

"We are therefore concerned that due to Russia's undue restrictions of its work, the mission will be unable to provide a real accounting of the scope of Russia's flows of illegal arms, funding, and personnel to support the separatists in eastern Ukraine or any meaningful assurance that Russia is acting to stop the illegal flow of arms and other support to separatists in eastern Ukraine," Baer said.

At the same time, OSCE Chairperson-in-Office and Swiss President Didier Burkhalter said that the decision on the deployment of observers at checkpoints on the Russian-Ukrainian border was aimed at building confidence between the sides.

He said that "further and broader measures will be necessary in order to have borders effectively secured by competent authorities."

"Reliable border control is a key element in a bigger set of measures to bring back stability in Ukraine," Burkhalter said.

He said that political will by all sides and meaningful dialogue remained indispensable to develop cooperative solutions to resolve this crisis.

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