The Defence Ministry will send two members of the Slovak Armed Forces to Ukraine as part of an inspection group from OSCE countries.
Slovakia is dispatching the two members of the armed forces based on a diplomatic note released by Kiev on March 3, Defence Ministry spokeswoman Martina Balleková told the TASR newswire. In the note, Ukraine turned to individual Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe countries to send inspectors in order to “dispel concerns about military activities”. The short-term inspection is set to be in line with the Vienna Document 2011 on confidence- and security-building measures in Europe.
Russia has declared that its current military operation in Crimea is aimed at protecting the Russian-speaking inhabitants of the peninsula.
“The participation of our soldiers in the international inspection group represents our contribution towards the de-escalation of tension in Ukraine,” Defence Minister Martin Glváč said. “Members of our armed forces should leave for Ukraine within the next few days.”
He stressed that this mission isn’t being carried out by OSCE as such, but by individual member states in line with the Vienna Document.
(Source: TASR)
Compiled by Zuzana Vilikovská from press reports
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