Ambassador Vaidotas Verba, who assumed the responsibilities of the OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Ukraine on 1 September 2014, presented the activities of his office. The OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Ukraine implements OSCE projects in Ukraine aimed at promoting the development of democratic reform, strengthening good governance, and raising awareness on the rule of law and human rights. In addition, projects aim to support Ukraine in adjusting its legal system to its OSCE commitments and international standards and to enhance the capabilities of the Ukrainian law enforcement authorities.
Since February 2014, the OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Ukraine has been actively engaged in conflict settlement in Ukraine by providing logistic and administrative assistance to the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine. Rasa Ostrauskaitė, Deputy Director of the OSCE Conflict Prevention Centre, elaborated on the Mission. The OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine is the only independent international mission in the conflict zone, chiefly tasked with collecting information and reporting to the OSCE Permanent Council on the security situation, security incidents, violations of OSCE commitments, and the situation regarding human rights and fundamental freedoms. Under the Minsk agreement of September 2014, the Mission was tasked with the monitoring of the implementation of the ceasefire agreement in Ukraine. Under the Package of Measures for the Implementation of the Minsk Agreements, adopted on 12 February 2015, the Mission is in charge of facilitating the withdrawal of heavy weapons away from the security zone; ensuring effective monitoring and verification of the ceasefire regime and withdrawal of all foreign armed formations, military equipment, as well as mercenaries from the territory of Ukraine. Germany, the Netherlands, Finland, the United Kingdom and Sweden have given substantial support to the activities of the Mission. Lithuania provided financial support to the activities of the Mission with an allocation of EUR 80,000 in June 2014.
The representative of the OSCE Secretariat covered the activities of OSCE observers deployed in two Russian checkpoints on the Russian–Ukrainian border, the work of the Trilateral Contact Group established by the OSCE and other initiatives of the OSCE aimed at contributing to the resolution of the military conflict and supporting democratic reforms in Ukraine.
The meeting was followed by a closed discussion, where the participants exchanged views on various aspects of the OSCE's work. They all agreed that Ukraine needed full support from international organisations and partners in order to put an end to the on-going military conflict with Russia and to help Ukraine continue on the path of democratic development. It is necessary to actively continue the policy of non-recognition of the occupation of Crimea in all international fora, to raise awareness of Western democratic communities about the security challenges Europe is facing and about the need for a united response.