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Both Ukrainian conflict sides ready to observe ceasefire — OSCE

Deputy head of the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission (SMM) to Ukraine Alexander Hug said both sides have shown that they are ready to observe the ceasefire regime

DONETSK, April 2. /TASS/. Kiev security forces and self-proclaimed republics’ militias have displayed readiness to observe the ceasefire regime, deputy head of the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission (SMM) to Ukraine Alexander Hug told a briefing in Donetsk on Thursday.

Both sides have shown that they are ready to observe the ceasefire regime, and not only for the telecameras, he said, summarising the results of his trip to the country’s east.

Hug said the OSCE would continue its work in the east of Ukraine.

The mission will continue to assist the peace process currently observed by the SMM. Hug expressed the hope that upon return to Kiev on Friday he would get a report from the OSCE monitors that the ceasefire is observed in the east of Ukraine.

Hug also said that OSCE observers have started to compile the lists of equipment, withdrawn by the Kiev army and self-proclaimed republics’ militias from the contact line in Donbass.

The SMM expected both sides to present such lists, but this has not been done, so the OSCE started to draw up the lists itself in order to provide documentary evidence of the weapons’ withdrawal, he said.

According to Hug, the OSCE monitors have been given access to the withdrawn weapons. He said the mission demanded full unimpeded access at any time to the places interesting for it. Both sides assured Hug on Thursday that the OSCE mission would be given access to these sites, the SMM deputy head said.

The OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine was deployed on 21 March 2014, following a request to the OSCE by Ukraine’s government and a consensus decision by all 57 OSCE participating States. The Mission’s mandate was extended by six months from 21 September 2014. The SMM is an unarmed, civilian mission, present on the ground 24/7 in all regions of Ukraine. Its main tasks are to observe and report in an impartial and objective way on the situation in Ukraine and to facilitate dialogue among all parties to the crisis.