BERN, 7 September 2014 - OSCE Chairperson-in-Office and Swiss Foreign Minister Didier Burkhalter commended the Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine (SMM) for its measures taken to rapidly adapt to new monitoring needs arising from the protocol signed in Minsk on 5 September. Underlining that it was key to assist in the implementation of the Minsk commitments without delay, Burkhalter confirmed that the SMM had redeployed in the last two days 59 specialists with particular experience in the monitoring of ceasefires and was now in the process of rapidly recruiting further monitors.

The Chairperson-in-Office also said that the SMM had established an initial clearing-house mechanism among the parties to deal with reported violations of the ceasefire and other incidences. He added that the mechanism would be refined in co-operation with the parties in the coming hours and days. He mentioned further that discussions were underway on possibilities of integrating as soon as possible national unmanned aerial vehicles as in-kind contributions by participating States into the SMM monitoring disposition.

Burkhalter expressed his gratitude to participating States for their ongoing support of the SMM and called on them to help expand the mission rapidly by proposing candidates with relevant expertise and by contributing to the funding of this mission.

He concluded by calling on all sides to ensure implementation of the protocol and constructively engage in further dialogue to this end.