Ukraine's President Petro Poroshenko and European Union's High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini have agreed on the need to urgently extend the mandate of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) in eastern Ukraine after their telephone conversation on March 5.
The parties stressed the need for more powerful technical and functional capabilities of the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission which should monitor and verify the ceasefire and weapons removal more efficiently, Poroshenko’s press office said.
The international community should start efforts to deploy peacekeepers in Donbas region, Poroshenko said.
The president has also urged the EU to be guided by implementation of the Minsk accords and the previous European Council resolution when deciding whether to extend and tighten its sanctions against Russia. .
“The pair discussed the situation in Donbas and progress in implementation of the Minsk accords ahead of an informal meeting of the EU foreign ministers in Riga on March 6-7 and a future meeting of the EU foreign Affairs Council,” the spokesperson said.
For her part, Mogherini reassured the Ukrainian president of support for Ukraine and Poroshenko’s efforts, and expressed condolences over the disaster at the Zasiadko coal mine which killed 33 mine workers.
