During the meeting, the sides discussed activities of the OSCE Special monitoring mission to Ukraine, in particular the Mission’s budget for 2017, necessity to strengthen its operational capacities, including its equipment with technical surveillance means aimed at ensuring effective monitoring of the cease fire and withdrawal of heavy weapons as envisaged by the Minsk Agreements.

Also discussed were issues related to ensuring unimpeded access for the SMM to the section of the Ukrainian-Russian state border, which is temporarily out of control of the Government of Ukraine, as well as the establishment of new SMM Forward Patrol Bases in the certain areas of Donetsk and Luhansk regions in order to prevent supplies of military equipment, ammunition and mercenaries from Russia across the border to Ukraine.