Saakashvili Grapples With Daunting Odds in Ukraine’s Odesa
Three weeks ago, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko appointed Georgia’s former president, Mikheil Saakashvili, as governor of Ukraine’s Odesa province, with a dual mission: to jump-start reforms based on his experience in reforming Georgia, and to consolidate Ukrainian control in a territory potentially targeted by Russia....
Financial Defaults May Loom for North Caucasian Republics
Russian news agencies reported in early June that Novgorod Oblast in central Russia had become the country’s first region to default on its financial obligations. An official from the Novgorod financial department told RBK news agency that the region failed to make a payment of $33 million to the Russian state bank VTB (Rbc.ru, June 9). VTB...
2015 OSCE Annual Security Review Conference in Vienna explores current security challenges and OSCE’s role in addressing them
VIENNA, 22 June 2015 – The 2015 Annual Security Review Conference organized by the OSCE Chairmanship-in-Office will take place on 23-25 June 2015 in Vienna with participants discussing current security challenges throughout the OSCE area. One of the special sessions will be devoted to the debate on ensuring security and stability in the OSCE...
OSCE Chairperson-in-Office Dačić appoints new Special Representative in Ukraine
BELGRADE, 22 June 2015– The OSCE Chairperson-in-Office and Serbia’s Foreign Minister Ivica Dačić today appointed Ambassador Martin Sajdik (Austria) as his new Special Representative in Ukraine and in the Trilateral Contact Group. He follows Ambassador Heidi Tagliavini (Switzerland) who, having fulfilled this assignment for one year,...
Kremlin Aide Warns U.S. Against Arms Deployment, Slovak Schools Slammed Over Roma Policies
Plus, Tajikistan moves to silence renegade special forces commander, and the UN blasts Hungary’s anti-immigrant billboards. …read more Source: Transitions Online...
Latest from OSCE Special Monitoring Mission (SMM) to Ukraine based on information received as of 19:30 (Kyiv time), 18 June 2015
This report is provided for the media and the general public. The SMM monitored the implementation of the “Package of measures for the implementation of the Minsk agreements”. Its monitoring was restricted by third parties and security considerations. Luhansk region remained tense, with the SMM observing shelling in several areas. The area around...
OSCE Permanent Council decides to extend OSCE Observer Mission at Russian Checkpoints Gukovo and Donetsk by three months
VIENNA, 19 June 2015 – The mandate of the OSCE Observer Mission at the Russian checkpoints Gukovo and Donetsk has been extended by three months to 30 September 2015, following a consensus decision taken by all 57 OSCE participating States yesterday. The Mission has been on the ground since 29 July 2014 and is tasked with monitoring and reporting...
OSCE hosts annual meeting on combating human trafficking for consular officials in Ukraine
KYIV, 19 June 2015 – A roundtable discussion to promote co-operation between the Ukrainian authorities and Kyiv-based embassies and consulates to prevent human trafficking was held today with the support of the OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Ukraine. The event brought together representatives from the visa sections of foreign embassies and...
EU Extends Trade And Investment Ban On Crimea
June 19, 2015 …read more Source: Center on Global...
Kyrgyz Friend of Boston Bomber Jailed, Pope’s Climate Change Talk Angers Poles
Plus, Belarus blocks access to a lifestyle website, and fears grow about press freedom in Croatia after journalist’s dismissal. …read more Source: Transitions Online...
