MONGOLIA BACKS OSCE ACTIONS

Ulaanbaatar /MONTSAME/ Mongolia fully supports actions of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) for the Trilateral Contact Group (Russia, Ukraine, OSCE) to create conditions for a sustainable ceasefire and end the violence in Ukraine, and expressed condolences to families and relatives of the people killed during the crash of the Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 in Ukraine. This statement was made by Mr G.Batjargal, the Permanent Representative of Mongolia to the United Nations Office in Vienna, following a declaration by the OSCE on the tragic plane crash. The OSCE Permanent Council adopted the declaration on July 18 of 2014 on the matter, calling for access to the site and for an independent investigation. “Representatives of the OSCE’s 57 participating States at the Permanent Council adopted a declaration on the tragic crash of the Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 in Ukraine. In a consensus decision, all 57 participating States of the OSCE expressed their strong support to the efforts of the Trilateral Contact Group (Russia, Ukraine, OSCE) to create conditions for a sustainable ceasefire, to be agreed swiftly, and to be observed by all concerned, thus putting an end to violence in eastern Ukraine,” the declaration says. The Declaration also calls for immediate, safe and secure access to the site and surrounding area for the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission and other representatives of relevant international organizations. It also called upon all those in the area to preserve the crash site intact, including by refraining from destroying, moving, or disturbing wreckage, equipment, debris, personal belongings, or remains. In the Declaration, the Permanent Council also supports calls for an open, transparent and independent international investigation, in co-ordination with the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), including with participation of technical and forensic experts from the Ukrainian, Malaysian, and Dutch governments as well as other technical and forensic experts and relevant regional bodies. The Permanent Council called on all participating States and other actors to support the steps and to refrain from any interference with an international investigation.