Japan-Ukraine Relations
Dispatch of MOFA personnel to the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine
July 30, 2015
- Japan will dispatch MOFA personnel as Reporting Offier to the Reporting and Analysis Unit of the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission (SMM) to Ukraine from August 3, 2015 to the end of March, 2016. This dispatch is the first of its kind among the OSCE’s eleven Partners for Co-operation outside the OSCE Participating States. The Reporting Officer will be responsible for analyzing information gathered throughout Ukraine and making reports.
- The SMM is operating under mandate which has been approved by the OSCE Permanent Council (PC) and the Minsk Agreement; these duties include monitoring the cease-fire and withdrawal of heavy weapons, as well as reporting on the situation for the purpose of restoring political stability and democracy in Ukraine. G7 countries, including Japan, are supporting its activities.
- Given the special cooperation with the OSCE and its critical role in Ukraine, Japan has made both financial and personnel contributions to the National Dialogue Project from March to April, 2014. Japan made personnel contributions by sending a total of twenty election observers both in May and October, 2014 during the Ukrainian Presidential as well as Parliamentary elections. Financially, Japan has provided a total of 2 million Euros to the SMM. It is our sincere hope that this dispatch will also contribute to peace and stability in Ukraine.