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OSCE sees positive signs in E. Ukraine's weapons withdrawal

Xinhua, March 11, 2015 Adjust font size:

The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), which monitors situation in eastern Ukraine, said Tuesday that the heavy arms withdrawal process has shown signs of progress.

"We welcome the positive signs of heavy weapons withdrawal," Ertugrul Apakan, head of the OSCE monitoring mission in Ukraine, told reporters in Kiev.

In the same time, Apakan said the OSCE mission was not ready to immediately confirm that heavy weaponry is fully withdrawn from the frontline as the organization's monitors have no access to some areas where weapons were moved.

"The situation today is that our observers do not have full access to some locations in eastern Ukraine, which is needed to monitor and verify the pullout," Apakan said.

The Ukrainian army and pro-independence insurgents started the withdrawal of their heavy weapons two weeks ago in line with the cease-fire deal reached in Minsk, capital of Belarus, on Feb. 12, when both sides pledging a full artillery pullout. Endite