Riga, 09/03/2015 (Agence Europe) - In Riga on Friday 6 and Saturday 7 March, the EU foreign affairs ministers hailed the launch of the OSCE monitoring mission in Ukraine, while underlining that the priority was for the mission's observers to be able to have total access on the ground.
“The first request from the OSCE, and thus from the EU, is for all the actors on the ground to give completely free access to those who come to do the monitoring”, said Belgium's foreign minister, Didier Reynders, at an informal meeting of EU foreign ministers in Riga. His Lithuanian counterpart, Linas Linkevicius, said that doubling the number of observers was a good thing but that he did not think this was enough because the main problem is that they have limited access to the borders and trouble spots.
According to the French foreign minister, Laurent Fabius, the OSCE secretary general, Lamberto Zannier, who was also at the meeting in Riga, stated that he had neither enough means nor access to certain areas.
High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini said that the ministers' meeting focused on how the EU could support the Minsk agreements “beginning by strengthening the OSCE on the ground”. She highlighted the technical instruments that can be made available, mentioning satellite imagery and the possible use of drones “to follow the situation when it is not possible to visit the region”. Mogherini stated that the EU has been providing satellite imagery since 14 February.
The EU is also ready to provide help in the selection of “qualified, professional” observers, and in sending observers, Mogherini added.
“The decision [to increase the number of observers] is important because it enables the OSCE to be more effective (…) the increase in the number will have a positive impact”, said Reynders.
On 6 March, Russia and Ukraine gave their agreement to doubling the number of observers from the OSCE mission - from 500 to 1,000. There are reportedly around 400 of them currently on the ground. (Camille-Cerise Gessant)