OSCE monitors hope to visit Sloviansk soon

00:52, 21.04.2014 1 min read

Despite access to towns in the eastern regions of Ukraine, monitoring teams of the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine are now unable to visit Sloviansk in Donetsk region, where some administrative buildings have been occupied by separatists.

"While we are aware of reports of violence on Sloviansk, our monitoring teams have been unable to access the location due to security concerns," Michael Bociurkiw, the Media Officer of the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine, told Interfax-Ukraine on Sunday.

Governor of Donetsk region Serhiy Taruta has embraced efforts towards the implementation of the Geneva statement dated April 17, 2014, Bociurkiw said.

"He was supported in his endeavor by the central authority. Regional and local authorities are conducting negotiations at a number of the occupied buildings," Bociurkiw said.

"I can tell you that patience and caution in negotiations are working to provide our monitors with access to people," he added.

Speaking of Sloviansk, Bociurkiw said: "We'll try to visit Sloviansk in the next few hours."