the United Nations on 9 December 1999 and the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination adopted by the General Assembly of the United Nations on 20 November 1963, 9. Expressing grave concern over the unilateral steps taken by the Russian Federation to recognize so-called “documents” (passports, driving licenses, birth certificates etc.) issued by illegal entities of certain areas of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions of Ukraine; to seize local, state, and private economic entities operating in the Ukrainian legal environment and provide full circulation of the Russian currency in non-Government controlled territory of certain areas of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions of Ukraine; as well as to condone the introduction of a so-called “state border” along the contact line by Russia-backed illegal armed formations in Donetsk, 10. Stressing the critical importance and urgency of reinstatement of full control over the uncontrolled segment of the Ukrainian-Russian state border in order to stop ceasefire violations and to establish conditions for a sustainable de-escalation, 11. Taking note of the report of the UN Human Rights Mission in Ukraine on “the influx of foreign fighters, including citizens of the Russian Federation, ammunition and heavy weaponry into eastern Ukraine from across the border with the Russian Federation”, 12. Considering the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine (SMM) reports about the large presence of heavy weapons and advanced military equipment, including items exclusively on the inventory of the Russian Armed Forces, in certain areas of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions of Ukraine, which are not controlled by the Government of Ukraine, including the areas where the presence of heavy weapons is prohibited by the Minsk Agreements, 13. Taking note of regular reports by the OSCE Observer Mission (OM) at the two Russian checkpoints on the Russian-Ukrainian border about the high number of persons in military-style clothing crossing the non-Government controlled segment of the RussianUkrainian state border in both directions, 14. Recognizing the distinct and complementary roles of the OSCE SMM and OM in ensuring a permanent OSCE presence at the Ukrainian-Russian state border adjacent to certain areas of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions of Ukraine, including through placing monitors at border check-points and assigning the SMM mobile patrols to conduct robust 24/7 monitoring along the border, 15. Anguished by the death of paramedic Joseph Stone of the United States of America, who was killed on 23 April 2017 while serving as a member of the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine, and by the injuries sustained in the same incident by his fellow monitors from the Czech Republic and Germany, 16. Emphasizing that according to the Minsk Agreements, all hostages and unlawfully detained persons must be released, which includes those who have been abducted from Ukrainian territory, are illegally detained in Russia, and have been recognized by the respective Russian non-governmental organizations as political prisoners, 31