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OSCE may send mission to Crimea - Secretary-General

Russian permanent representative to the OSCE Andrei Kelin said in late March that the OSCE mandate has no relation to Crimea
Lamberto Zannier EPA/VALDRIN XHEMAJ
Lamberto Zannier
© EPA/VALDRIN XHEMAJ

KIEV, April 11. /ITAR-TASS/. The Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) intends to send a mission to Crimea, Secretary-General Lamberto Zannier has said.

The OSCE supports any efforts for stabilising the situation, he said at a meeting with the Ukrainian parliament-appointed acting president, Oleksandr Turchynov on Friday.

The OSCE will try to do its best for its contingent to be deployed all over Ukraine, Zannier said.

Russian permanent representative to the OSCE Andrei Kelin said in late March that the OSCE mandate has no relation to Crimea.

“On March 21 (the date when the OSCE mandate was coordinated) we specified that Crimea was Russia’s territory. No other presence in Crimea can be discussed,” he said.

“Our position is based on the OSCE mandate. It specifies a concrete location for the mission. Any changes should be approved by the OSCE Standing Committee and necessarily require Russia’s consent,” Kelin said.