OSCE Chairman, Polish Foreign Minister Zbigniew Rau and OSCE Secretary-General Helga Maria Schmid said that the organization initiated measures to close the Project Coordinator’s Office in Ukraine due to Russia’s position.
“Unfortunately, despite the overwhelming support of the participating states (OSCE – ed.) for the continuation of the important work that the Project Coordinator has been doing (in Ukraine – ed.) for 23 years, the consensus on the continuation of his mandate has not been achieved because of the Russian position,” Rau said.
He added that the Polish chairmanship of the OSCE will make every effort to preserve the invaluable experience and knowledge acquired by the Project Coordinator in Ukraine and ensure that the OSCE remains present and cooperates with Ukraine.
“Today, when the country faces unprecedented challenges and difficulties due to the war, our support is more important than ever,” he stressed.
It is noted that all activities of the Project Coordinator’s Office in Ukraine are suspended from July 1.
Since its deployment in Ukraine in 1999, the Office has supported the country in its efforts on reforms, doing important work in many areas, including reforms, combating human trafficking and supporting the country in its humanitarian demining efforts to protect the environment and media freedom.