The OSCE Ministerial Troika, comprising the Foreign Ministers of Serbia, Germany and Switzerland – Ivica Dacic, Frank-Walter Steinmeier and Didier Burkhalter respectively, committed itself today to the promotion of the political process in Ukraine and called for the earliest possible implementation of the Minsk agreements and establishment of political dialogue in that country.

Following the Troika Meeting in Belgrade, OSCE Chairman-in-Office Ivica Dacic stated that it was essential to consolidate the Ukrainian situation on the ground, to observe the ceasefire and establish a political dialogue as early as possible, in order to bring peace to Ukraine.

“It is most important not to miss this opportunity for peace in Ukraine”, said Dacic, recalling that this was also an opportunity for Serbia to demonstrate that “it is a serious country capable of chairing such a serious and major organization as the OSCE”.

Dacic underlined that it was now important to hold, as early as possible, another meeting of the Trilateral Contact Group, including a video conference with the participation of representatives of Donietsk and Lugansk, and announced the establishment of four working groups shortly, to deal with political, economic, security and humanitarian issues.

Minister Steinmeier assessed that Ukraine had yet a long way to go and that the path would not be successful unless the conflict in the eastern part of the country was resolved. He called on the parties to the conflict to implement the agreements as soon as possible, to form demilitarized zones and establish economic relations between Eastern Ukraine and Kyiv.

Swiss Minister Didier Burkhalter said that the work of the Trilateral Contact Group was essential in the implementation of the Minsk agreements.

“The OSCE Mission is a means for making changes on the ground in Ukraine”, said Burkhalter, urging all parties to the conflict to enable an unfettered and secure access to OSCE monitors.

The Ministers jointly urged that the OSCE Monitoring Mission be provided full access to all locations on the ground in Ukraine.

The Foreign Ministers of Serbia, Germany and Switzerland most strongly condemned yesterday’s terrorist attack on the police station in Zvornik, in which one policeman was killed and two were wounded.

“It is essential to preserve stability in Bosnia and Herzegovina. We most strongly condemn the terrorist act and the intelligence services should cooperate closely in order to prevent this in the future”, Dacic stated.

At the joint press conference with his German and Swiss colleagues, Frank-Walter Steinmeier and Didier Burkhalter, Minister Dacic added that the problem of terrorism and the fight against terrorism were continuously discussed at OSCE meetings.