You're reading: Kyiv wants to enlarge OSCE mission on Ukrainian-Russian border

Ukraine continues to insist on the expansion of the OSCE presence along the entire section of the Ukrainian-Russian border, Foreign Ministry spokesman Yevhen Perebyinis has said.

“Ukraine continues to insist on the expansion of the OSCE presence on the entire section of the Ukrainian-Russian border, which is now not controlled by the State Border Service of Ukraine, and calls for the deployment of the organization’s observers at additional checkpoints on the Russian side at this section of the Ukrainian-Russian border,” he said at a briefing in Kyiv on Oct. 21.

He said that Ukraine’s proposals were brought to the attention of the OSCE participating states on Oct. 17, 2014 and also presented during negotiations in Milan. In particular, it is proposed to expand the activities of OSCE observers at Russian checkpoints Voloshino, Novoshahtinsk, Kuibyshevo, Marinovka, Kuibyshevo-Dyakovo, Matveyev Kurgan, Veselo-Voznesenka and other crossing points.

Perebyinis said that expanding the format of the mission’s activity would help ensure clause 4 of the Minsk protocol, which foresees permanent monitoring on the Ukrainian-Russian border and verification by the OSCE.