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Developments in eastern Ukraine

Poroshenko says OSCE agreed to increase number of its observers in Ukraine to 1,500

This number of observers will make it possible for this esteemed European organization to fulfill its liabilities in terms of monitoring the ceasefire regime, the president said

KIEV, October 12. /TASS/. Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko said on Sunday the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) had increased the number of its observers in Ukraine to1,500.

“I asked and received a positive answer that the OSCE has increased the number of observers to 1,500. This number of observers will make it possible for this esteemed European organization to fulfill its liabilities in terms of monitoring the ceasefire regime,” the president said in a statement posted on his official website.

Earlier, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe said it considered the Ukrainian president’s request to bring up the number of observers to 1,500 premature.

An OSCE representative told TASS on October 9 that the organization had taken notice of the Ukrainian president’s statement but the current mandate provided for a maximum of 500 monitors, a level not yet reached.

Consent from all the 57 member countries of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe is needed to change the mission’s mandate, the representative said.

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Eastern Ukraine

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