OSCE calls for immediate ceasefire in Ukraine

OSCE calls for immediate ceasefire in Ukraine

BELGRADE -- The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) participating states have adopted a declaration calling for an immediate ceasefire in Ukraine.

The document adopted on Tuesday also called for the full implementation of the Minsk agreement.

Welcoming the declaration, adopted by representatives of the OSCE's 57 participating states at a special meeting of the Permanent Council in Vienna, OSCE Chairperson-in-Office and Serbia's Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic said that "the declaration confirms the firm conviction of all the OSCE's 57 participating States that the cycle of violence and hostilities in eastern Ukraine cannot be settled on the battleground but only at the negotiating table."

"I call on all sides to immediately move towards deescalation and the implementation of a full ceasefire and I would like to encourage them to make full use of the OSCE conflict resolution toolbox," Dacic said.

In the declaration, the OSCE participating states expressed their "serious concern over the military escalation in recent days in eastern Ukraine" and called "for an immediate ceasefire by all sides and the full implementation of the Minsk Protocol of September 5, 2014, and Memorandum of September 19, 2014."

The participating states also expressed their "full support" for efforts made by the Special Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, Ambassador Heidi Tagliavini, and called upon "all signatories of the Minsk Protocol and Memorandum to meet as soon as possible in order to achieve practical progress on the full implementation of the Minsk agreements."

Welcoming all efforts being made to deescalate the situation, including in the Normandy...