DONETSK. Dec 7 (Interfax) - The main purposes of the visit by Alexander Hug, deputy head of the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission (SMM) in Ukraine, to the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic is the establishment of surveillance cameras in Shyrokyne and the placement of new support points, Eduard Basurin, a senior official with the DPR Defense Ministry, said.
"He has arrived for one week. He has three questions: Shyrokyne, the placement of surveillance cameras, mine clearance and the placement on a permanent basis in other populated areas. We are talking about opening four support points. The placement of cameras under the aegis of the OSCE will be an element of fixation," Basurin told reporters on Sunday.
Hug earlier told Interfax the OSCE SMM is ready to expand its presence on the territory controlled by the self-proclaimed DPR and is waiting for safety guarantees.
Hug told Interfax on Wednesday the SMM plans to increase the number of forward patrol bases from the current three. He said the SMM now focuses on extra forward patrol bases in the DPR-controlled districts of the Donetsk region and has prepared staff, road vehicles, housing and logistics support. The SMM is now waiting for a decision and safety guarantees from those who control this territory, Hug told Interfax.
He said the opening of new bases is very important as it will help conduct a balanced monitoring in the districts on both sides of the contact line.
Hug believes the opening of new forward bases of the OSCE SMM will help more promptly react to ceasefire breaches in the direct vicinity of places where such breaches may occur.