OSCE strengthens monitoring in Zakarpattia region

Ukrinform learnt this from the press service of the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission.

"In accordance with its mandate and in response to recent events in and around Uzhhorod, the OSCE SMM has strengthened its monitoring in this area," the organization said.

The OSCE SMM states that it has publicly notified of this decision and promised to post all the conclusions on the OSCE website.

"The OSCE SMM will continue to monitor the situation in Uzhhorod with the help of patrol officers from Ivano-Frankivsk," the press service said.

As Ukrinform previously reported, Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó said that the OSCE Secretary General and the High Commissioner for Human Rights responded positively to the request to send an OSCE mission to the region due to the attacks on the Hungarian Culture Association office of Zakarpattia and sent 12 OSCE observers to monitor this situation.

At the same time, the Zakarpattia Regional State Administration stated that it had not received any requests for opening an OSCE mission office. They also specified that the nearest office of the OSCE mission was located in Ivano-Frankivsk.

On March 7, the Hungarian Culture Association called on the OSCE to introduce a permanent monitoring mission to Zakarpattia region following two attacks at their office.

At the same time, the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry said that it saw no reasons to send observers to the region.

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