MOSCOW, January 17 (Sputnik) – The Special Monitoring Mission (SMM) of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) has reaffirmed that none of the OSCE participating states have withdrawn their monitors from Ukraine.
"We continue to work closely with all OSCE participating States to ensure that their nationals seconded to the Mission operate in a safe and secure environment," SMM Deputy Chief Monitor Alexander Hug said as quoted by the OSCE Friday.
According to Hug, "the SMM had invited the group of security experts from participating states to assess the situation on the ground and to witness how the Mission implements its operational and security procedures".
The OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine was deployed on March 21, 2014 following a request to the OSCE by Ukraine's government and a consensus agreement by all 57 OSCE participating states. In July, the mission's mandate was extended by six months.
The SMM regularly reports on the situation in south-eastern Ukraine, where independence fighters and Kiev forces continue to report ceasefire violations.
The ceasefire agreement between the conflicting parties was signed in September, 2014, during a meeting of the Contact Group on Ukraine, attended by representatives from Russia and the OSCE.
