Hungary expects every party concerned in the conflict in Ukraine to guarantee the safety of the observers of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó told the Hungarian news agency MTI on Monday.

The Minister, who is currently on a visit to Tunisia, said: Hungary wishes to offer its condolences to the family of the deceased OSCE observer and its solidarity with the monitors of the international organisation, and wishes the injured observers a swift recovery.

Mr Szijjártó pointed out: the parties concerned must guarantee the safety and security of OSCE observers because the presence and the success of the efforts of the delegation of the international organisation are perhaps the most important tools for the political resolution of the conflict in Ukraine. It would be in the best interests of the whole of Europe “if the terms of the ceasefire agreement were observed by every party”, this is what may lead to the closure of the conflict within the shortest possible time, he said upon stating his view.

The Foreign Minister highlighted: it is a special consideration for Hungary that there are 150 thousand Hungarians living in Transcarpathia, in Ukraine, and “their security is extremely important for us”. It is in the best interests of the Hungarian community living there and of Hungary that the armed conflict in Eastern-Ukraine should be brought to a swift resolution. The observers of OSCE play an important role in this, and their security must therefore be guaranteed by every party concerned, he stressed.

On Sunday, a US member of the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission died and two monitors were injured when their vehicle hit a mine near the locality of Pryshyb during a patrolling mission. Separatists claim that a Ukrainian subversive group was active in the region.

One of the injured is German, while the other one is a Czech national.

(Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade/MTI)