Chief Monitor of the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine Ertuğrul Apakan has expressed his gratitude to all 57 OSCE participating States for their support for the Mission, following a consensus decision yesterday to extend the SMM's Mandate for another year.

"The Mission will continue implementing its Mandate and contributing to reducing tension, and fostering peace and security in Ukraine," the press service of the OSCE SMM quoted Ambassador Apakan as saying.

As reported, on March 29, the OSCE Permanent Council decided to extend the mandate of the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine (SMM) by another year. The OSCE Chairperson-in-Office and Minister for Foreign and European Affairs of Slovakia, Miroslav Lajčák, called for continued support for the international monitors and national staff on the ground. The chairperson-in-office recalled that the SMM was mandated to establish and report facts in response to specific incidents and to report incidents, including those concerning alleged violations of fundamental OSCE principles and commitments, throughout Ukraine.