1. Statement by Ertugrul Apakan, the Chief Monitor of the OSCE Special Monitoring
Mission(SMM) toUkraine
PARIS 24 February 2015
PARIS, 24 February 2015. "We welcome the determination of the Ministers of France, Germany, Russia and
Ukraine, who met in Paris today, that the package of measures agreed in Minsk must be implemented in full,
without delay.
"More than 10 days ago we wrote to the signatories to make clear what is needed from them if the OSCE Special
Monitoring Mission (SMM) to Ukraine is to fulfil the task given to the mission regarding monitoring and heavy
weapons withdrawl. This includes: what heavy weapons they have; where these weapons are now, and which
routes will be used to withdraw them; and where they will be located after they have been withdrawn.
"The parties concerned still have not provided this information, and they need to do so promptly. Without this
information, the SMM cannot effectively verify the withdrawalof heavy weapons.
"The SMM has already been monitoring the movement of heavy weapons for five months, but there is a clear
distinction between this activity, which we will continue – and being able to report that these weapons are indeed
withdrawn, and safely and securely stored.
"The SMM can monitor and verify this process in a credible manner. We look forward to being able to report that
these weapons, which have caused such widespread devastation and displacement, have been indeed pulled back."
Contacts
Michael Bociurkiw
Spokesperson
OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine
26 Turgenevska Street
01054 Kyiv
Ukraine
Office: +380 44 382 0832
Mobile: +38 067 4083107
michael.bociurkiw@osce.org
