UN chief discusses Ukraine, other key issues with senior regional officials

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon met today with the Foreign Minister of Russia to discuss among other issues, the ongoing conflict in eastern Ukraine, expressing his expectation that all concerned parties would live up to their commitments to the truce agreed in Minsk on 12 February.

Mr. Ban reiterated to Sergey Lavrov that all parties must comply with the unanimous adoption of Security Council Resolution 2202 (2015).

Last week, the Council unanimously adopted a resolution endorsing the 13-point accord on ending the Ukraine crisis agreed in Minsk – including a cease-fire – and called on all parties to the conflict to fully implement that cessation of hostilities, as the UN human rights office expressed concern over reported shelling and trapped civilians in the country's east.

Through the resolution, the 15-member Council endorsed the 'Package of measures for the Implementation of the Minsk Agreements,' which was adopted and signed in Minsk on 12 February. That agreement was annexed to the resolution. It stated that the immediate and comprehensive ceasefire in certain areas of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions went into effect on 15 February, 12 a.m. local time Sunday, 15 February.

Measures outlined in the text also included the withdrawal of all foreign armed formations, military equipment and mercenaries from the territory of Ukraine under the monitoring of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), as well as the disarmament of all illegal groups.

Today, the Secretary-General and Foreign Minister Lavrov also discussed the situations in Libya and Yemen, as well as the need for a comprehensive international response to the fight against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL). Mr. Ban and Mr. Lavrov also exchanged views on Syria and compared notes on the implementation of Security Council Resolution 2199 (2015).

Also today, Mr. Ban met with Ivica Dacic, First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs of Serbia, in his capacity as Chairperson-in-Office (CiO) of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE).

Mr. Ban and Mr. Dacic discussed the UN-OSCE partnership as well as the situation in Ukraine, Nagorno-Karabakh and the Balkans. During those talks, the UN chief expressed his commitment to supporting the OSCE's efforts in Ukraine and to strengthening the UN-OSCE partnership.

Mr. Dacic is expected to brief the Security Council tomorrow on the Serbian OSCE Chairmanship's priorities and the OSCE's cooperation with the United Nations.