The end of the Russian energy weapon (that arguably was never there)
The crisis in Ukraine once again revived the fierce debate about Europe’s dependence on Russian energy resources. Similar to 2006 and 2009, when physical supply disruptions of natural gas took place, this crisis too will spur European integration. Arguably, though unintended, this makes Russian President Putin one of the most explicit...
OSCE Chairperson-in-Office expresses condolences after mining accident in eastern Ukraine
Belgrade, 5 March 2015 – OSCE Chairperson-in-Office and Serbian Foreign Minister Ivica Dačić today expressed his deepest sympathy over the loss of life in a mining accident at the Zasyadko coal mine in eastern Ukraine. „No effort should be spared at helping those affected by this tragedy, and I trust we shall all join efforts in this...
Swedish Parliament, leading think-tank to host OSCE PA Helsinki +40 seminar next week
COPENHAGEN, 5 March 2015 – COPENHAGEN, 5 March 2015 – The Swedish Parliament and one of the country’s leading think-tanks, The Swedish Institute of International Affairs (UI), will host the next leg of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly’s Helsinki +40 Project in Stockholm on 11 March. Experts, policy-makers, ambassadors and OSCE...
Weekly update from the OSCE Observer Mission at Russian Checkpoints Gukovo and Donetsk based on information as of 10:00 (Moscow time), 4 March 2015
SUMMARY KAMENSK-SHAKHTINSKY, RUSSIAN FEDERATION The Observer Mission (OM) continues to operate 24/7 at both BCPs. The overall cross-border traffic increased at both Border Crossing Points (BCPs). The net flow considerably decreased confirming OM’s predicted return movement into Ukraine. The OM also observed an increase of the number of...
Obama’s China toolkit: In need of serious repair
About a year ago, the Obama administration found itself on the defensive abroad.In late 2013, China had established an Air Defense Identification Zone over the East China Sea, imposing rules that amounted to a Chinese assertion of sovereignty over international airspace and disputed territories. The following month, a Chinese warship halted in...
Latest from the Special Monitoring Mission in Ukraine (SMM) based on information received from the Monitoring Teams as of 18:00hrs, 4 March
This report is for the media and general public The SMM monitored the implementation of the “Package of measures for the Implementation of the Minsk agreements”. Based on its monitoring – which was restricted by third parties and by security considerations* – the SMM assessed the security situation in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions as relatively...
Media freedom situation in Crimea, Ukraine, at all-time low, OSCE Representative says
VIENNA, 5 March 2015 – One year on after her assessment visit to Ukraine, which included Simferopol, Crimea, OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Dunja Mijatović today said the media freedom situation in Crimea has continued to deteriorate. “The continuous dismantling of free media in Crimea and the crackdown on independent and critical...
Statement by the Chief Monitor of the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine (SMM)
KYIV, 05 March, 2015 — The Chief Monitor of the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission (SMM) to Ukraine, Ambassador Ertugrul Apakan, today expressed his sadness and regret at reports that several dozen had been killed in a mining accident in eastern Ukraine. He sent his deep condolences to the families of the victims. Ambassador Apakan expressed the...
Greece Seeks to Sidestep Kremlin Import Ban, Ukraine Says Gazprom Blocking Fuel Supply
Plus, Croatia will vote on Adriatic drilling, and Kyrgyzstan does away with final exams in Uzbek. …read more Source: Transitions Online...
The OSCE’s Near-Impossible Mission in Ukraine
The head of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe discusses the task of monitoring the ceasefire in eastern Ukraine and the future of European security. …read more Source: Carnegie Endowment for International...
