While delivering his statement at the meeting, Minister Klimkin assured of Ukraine’s support of the Chairmanship in the challenging endeavor of staying the course aiming at safe and secure future of the OSCE region.

The Minister praised Germany’s principled position on Russia’s attempt to change European borders by force as unacceptable and welcomed the fact that one of the top priorities of the German Chairmanship in 2016 was to focus on ensuring peaceful resolution of the crisis in and around Ukraine, stemming from the Russian aggression.

As the situation on the ground remains fragile and Ukraine’s efforts to implement the Minsk agreements have not yet been reciprocated by Russia and militants it backs, there is a need to strengthen the activities of the Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine in Donbas, said the Minster.

Among the most critical tasks, requiring the OSCE engagement, are comprehensive ceasefire, resumption of control over the Ukrainian-Russian border, release of all the Ukrainian hostages, including illegally detained in Russia, holding of local elections in certain areas of Donbas in accordance with the Ukrainian legislation and the OSCE standards and under the OSCE/ODIHR monitoring, access of international humanitarian organizations to the occupied territories.

The OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, German Federal Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said there was a need to strengthen the OSCE crisis toolbox given the lessons of the crisis in and around Ukraine. The OSCE principles and commitments as the most valuable asset of the Organization must be fully respected.

Most of the OSCE participating States in their statements at the meeting reaffirmed their support to the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine and condemned Russia’s on-going violations of OSCE core principles in Ukraine’s Crimea and Donbas.