I am pleased that, based on the observations of the OSCE, the ceasefire in eastern Ukraine has been holding again for several days now and that no more serious incidents have occurred in the conflict zones.

That gives us hope that the conflicting parties will also tackle the other difficult steps that still need to be taken to fully implement the Minsk agreement with a willingness to find constructive solutions which will help overcome the crisis and defuse the conflict in the long term.

I am determined not to relax our efforts to mediate between Moscow and Kyiv within the Normandy format and to now also use Germany’s Chairmanship of the OSCE to this end.