Schmid: SMM must be able to work unhindered

OSCE Secretary General Helga Maria Schmid has said that the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission (SMM) to Ukraine must be able to work safely and unhindered.

According to Ukrinform, she stated this following her five-day official visit to Ukraine.

"Incessant restrictions and impediments prevent the Mission from fulfilling its mandate. I saw for myself how repeated jamming interferes with SMM's unmanned aerial vehicles. The SMM must be able to work safely, securely, and unhindered on both sides of the contact line," Schmid said.

According to her, "the SMM plays a vital part facilitating dialogue and serving as the world’s objective eyes and ears on the ground."

During her stay in Ukraine and meetings with Ukrainian officials, Schmid "underscored the OSCE's continued commitment to supporting efforts toward a sustainable, peaceful resolution to the crisis in and around Ukraine."

"The OSCE will continue to do all we can, but it will take sustained political will and engagement to bring this crisis to an end. People deserve enduring stability and security in their daily lives," she said.

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