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OSCE chief cuts short Moscow visit due to observer’s death in Ukraine

It is necessary to make sure that those responsible are brought to justice, OSCE secretary general stressed

MOSCOW, April 25. /TASS/. OSCE Secretary General Lamberto Zannier has decided to shorten his visit to Moscow due to the death of an employee of the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission in Ukraine. He was speaking shortly before the beginning of the talks with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.

"We have very complex certain issues on the agenda, the overall state of European security is worrying, this is why I decided to keep my schedule even in a more shortened manner due to this incident, but I attach importance to both the conference here in Moscow (the Moscow Conference on International Security - TASS) and also the consultations with you, mister minister," he told Lavrov.

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Russia calls for unbiased investigation into blast killing OSCE agent in Donbass

The OSCE secretary general expressed gratitude for the condolences and words of sympathy offered by Russia’s top diplomat, adding that the SMM employee killed in Ukraine was the first victim among international observers during the mission’s operation in the region.

"We have already started acting on an investigation. We want to have clarity on what has happened," Zannier said, adding that it is necessary to make sure that those responsible are brought to justice.

On April 23, an OSCE SMM car drove over an anti-tank mine near the village of Prishib in the Lugansk People’s Republic. As a result, an American paramedic was killed and another two observers, citizens of the Czech Republic and Germany, sustained wounds. On Sunday, the body of the observer killed in the blast was handed over to Ukraine.

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