A delegation of Ambassadors from OSCE participating States concluded a three-day visit to Ukraine, organized by the Swiss Chairpersonship through the Permanent Mission to the OSCE in Vienna and the Special Representative - OSCE Project Coordinator in Ukraine, Ambassador Petr Mareš.
The visit highlighted the OSCE's ongoing work in Ukraine, especially through the OSCE Extra-budgetary Support Programme for Ukraine (SPU). The SPU's objective is to help Ukraine address the challenges faced by civilians as a result of the war, while supporting the long-term democratic and social resilience of its institutions and civil society.
The delegation's programme included meetings with Ukrainian authorities, civil society and SPU partners. The delegation included representatives of Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Norway, Poland, Romania, Slovenia, the United Kingdom, Switzerland and Ukraine. It was accompanied by representatives of the OSCE's Secretariat and autonomous institutions.
Upon arrival in Kyiv, the Ambassadors were welcomed by the Chairperson of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, Ruslan Stefanchuk, by the Acting Foreign Minister of Ukraine, Andrii Sybiha, Deputy Foreign Minister of Ukraine, Mariana Betsa, as well as by the First Deputy Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, Sergiy Kyslytsya.
"We reiterated our strong condemnation of Russia's war against Ukraine, including attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure across Ukraine," said Ambassador Raphael Nägeli, Chair of the Permanent Council. "The Swiss Chairpersonship remains committed to a comprehensive, just and lasting peace for Ukraine, based on international law and the Helsinki Final Act."
The Ambassadors also called for the immediate release of the three OSCE officials - Vadym Golda, Maksym Petrov, and Dmytro Shabanov - who have been arbitrarily detained by Russia for over four years.
The delegation also took part in a high-level ceremony marking the handover of OSCE-funded equipment supporting efforts to trace missing persons, particularly children, and strengthen the control of small arms and light weapons.
In Lviv, the delegation focused on the OSCE's support for people most affected by the war. The Ambassadors learned about the psycho-social and economic challenges faced by the Ukrainian population. They visited the SPU-supported Children's Centre "Tviy", which provides assistance to children and families affected by the war. They were also briefed on initiatives aimed at supporting the reintegration of veterans into society.
"Ensuring that the OSCE remains capable of delivering meaningful assistance on the ground is one of our priorities. The projects we have seen during the visit exemplify what the OSCE can do even in times of war: build capacities, support legislative and policy changes, strengthen societal and institutional resilience, across all three dimensions of security They are a solid basis on which we can continue to build," stated Ambassador Nägeli.
