Crisis in Ukraine: President Burkhalter and German Foreign Minister Steinmeier discuss conflict resolution options

At a working session Swiss President Didier Burkhalter and German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier discussed options to stem the escalation of the situation in Crimea and to support the search for solutions to contain the crisis in Ukraine. Both men argued in particular for a contact group to be set up to oversee the de-escalation process. On the question of support, Mr Burkhalter and Mr Steinmeier raised the additional possibility of an OSCE monitoring mission, which could for example serve to prevent a further escalation of violence in Ukraine. They also discussed the visit of Ambassador Tim Guldimann, the Swiss ambassador in Berlin, who is currently acting as personal envoy of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, President Burkhalter, and is in Ukraine holding discussions, along with Astrid Thors, the OSCE’s high commissioner on national minorities.

Today's meeting between Mr Burkhalter and Mr Steinmeier on the OSCE's options to contain the crisis in Ukraine picks up where talks between the two men left off at the beginning of February 2014 at the Munich Security Conference and on 18 February 2014 during Mr Burkhalter's visit to Berlin. The setting-up of an international contact group was also discussed during President Burkhalter's meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov yesterday in Geneva.

Further information:

Bilateral relations between Switzerland and Germany
OSCE Switzerland 2014
Swiss Chairmanship of the OSCE on Twitter

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