Zelensky, OSCE Chairperson-in-Office discuss security situation in Donbas

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky had a phone conversation with the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, Prime Minister and Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs of Albania, Edi Rama, with the aim of coordinating efforts for a peaceful settlement in Donbas.

According to the press service of the head of state, the interlocutors discussed the security situation in Donbas and important aspects of the negotiation process within the Normandy format.

The President drew attention to the violations of agreements by the illegal armed groups, including their shelling of Ukrainian positions on September 6 and 10.

"Yesterday, during my phone conversation with Chancellor Angela Merkel, the militants opened fire on Ukrainian positions near the village of Shumy, the area where a meeting of the JCCC and OSCE representatives was to take place. And the difference between these shots and the previous ones was that these were aimed. We do not want a new escalation. After all, on September 6, as a result of the provocation by the illegal armed formations, we suffered casualties - one serviceman of the Armed Forces was killed, and another was wounded," Zelensky said.

For his part, the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office supported the Ukrainian party's efforts to achieve peace in the region and assured of the Albanian Chairmanship’s readiness to contribute to the restoration of peace. He noted that the steps taken by the Ukrainian President and the Ukrainian people towards peace are very courageous. He also stressed that he regrets the lack of mutual movement of the opposite party in this direction.

In this context, the interlocutors noted the importance of ensuring full, unhindered access of the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to the entire uncontrolled territory.

As the OSCE SMM's mandate is not limited to Donbas, Zelensky noted Ukraine's expectations that the SMM would also pay due attention to the situation in the temporarily occupied Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol.

At the end of the conversation, Edi Rama invited Volodymyr Zelensky to visit Albania.

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