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Consultations underway in OSCE to ensure security at Donbass elections

VIENNA, October 21. /TASS/. Member-countries of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) are holding consultations on the possible assistance to ensure safety at the local elections in the Donbass region, a source in the OSCE office in Vienna informed TASS on Friday.

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OSCE mission in Donbass accuses both sides of limiting access to disengagement areas

"Consultations between the OSCE member-countries regarding the possible OSCE’s contribution to security at the local elections (in Donbass - TASS) are underway and will continue in Vienna," he said.

According to the source, during the Normandy Four meeting in Berlin on October 19, German Chancellor Angela Merkel noted that the focus was on the areas for disengagement of forces, while a possible OSCE mission to ensure security at the local elections was not the main issue on the agenda.

According to the source, in any case, "a mandate of such OSCE mission could only be approved on the basis of a consensus between all OSCE member-countries."

Ukrainian President Pyotr Poroshenko said after a meeting in Berlin that an agreement on deploying an armed OSCE police mission to the Donbass region had been reached at the talks. However, neither German Chancellor Angela Merkel nor French President Francois Hollande mentioned that while talking to reporters. Merkel said that the issue of an OSCE mission, "which can be armed," could only be discussed "once the law on elections is drawn up." She added though that "today it is not absolutely urgent."

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Military operation in Ukraine

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