16:44 12.03.2015

OSCE mission in Ukraine needs strengthening – German foreign minister

2 min read
OSCE mission in Ukraine needs strengthening – German foreign minister

The special OSCE monitoring mission in eastern Ukraine should be strengthened to effectively monitor the implementation of the Minsk Agreements.

This is stated in an article written by German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier for the New York Times.

The foreign minister said that even though "trust is a low point," the Minsk Agreements "provide an opportunity for calming an extremely fragile situation and outlines the path toward a politically negotiated solution."

He stated that a substantially strengthened OSCE mission and efforts to help Kyiv with reforms are his current priorities. "We need shoes on the ground far more urgently than boots," said Steinmeier.

The minister also said that Germany and France have engaged in a determined diplomatic effort to tackle the crisis in Ukraine with the overriding objective of de-escalating the fighting and paving the way to a political resolution.

According to him, this effort is based on a closely coordinated European and transatlantic strategy and is founded on four pillars.

"First, we have taken a firm stance against Russia's aggression through a calibrated series of measures, including sanctions. Second, we are strengthening NATO, along the lines agreed to at the Wales summit meeting in September. Third, we are supporting Ukraine's transition through economic, humanitarian and political support. Finally, we want to engage Russia with the aim of ending the conflict and moving toward a more cooperative relationship," said Steinmeier.

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