The OSCE permanent Council on Thursday adopted a decision to extend the mandate of the Special monitoring mission (SMM) of the OSCE in Ukraine for one year, until 31 March 2018.

As stated in the press release of the OSCE this decision establishes the mission budget in the amount of EUR105. 5 million for the period from 1 April 2017 to 31 March 2018.

The Ministry of foreign Affairs of Ukraine stated that it considered the decision as a sign of commitment of the participating States of the OSCE to continue to support Ukraine in countering Russian aggression.

“Ukraine supports the further strengthening of SMM human resources and technical means to ensure the effective monitoring of implementation of the Minsk agreements, primarily on a comprehensive cease-fire, withdrawal of heavy weapons and the monitoring section of the Ukrainian-Russian state border, which is temporarily not controlled by the Ukrainian government . Once again urge the Russian Federation to take all measures to ensure unhindered access and freedom of movement of observers in certain districts of Donetsk and Luhansk regions and on the territory of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and Sevastopol”, – said in a statement.