Burkhalter proposes to add more Russians to OSCE mission in Ukraine

Published June 25, 2014 at 6:49 pm

Russian President Vladimir Putin (R) shakes hands with Didier Burkhalter (L), Swiss President and chairman of the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) prior to a meeting at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Vienna, Austria on June 24, 2014.

Photo by AFP

The OSCE would like to increase the number of its observers working in Ukraine, OSCE Chairperson-in-Office Didier Burkhalter has said.

It would be great if more Russians work under the aegis of the OSCE
mission, he said, quoted by Germany’s Deutsche Welle radio broadcaster.

According to Burkhalter, increase in a number of OSCE observers in
Ukraine and attraction to this mission a larger number of Russians could
support a fragile truce in the east of the country.

If the promotion of the ceasefire needed, he said, we hope to strengthen our mission.

Currently the OSCE mission in Ukraine consists of over 250 civil observers, including 12 Russians.