OSCE head Zannier says Sept. 1 cease-fire in eastern Ukraine still holding

Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk speaks during the 12th annual meeting entitled “At Risk: How New Ukraine’s Fate Affects Europe and the World” organized by the Yalta European Strategy (YES) in partnership with the Victor Pinchuk Foundation at the Mystetsky Arsenal Art Center in Kiev, Ukraine, Saturday, Sept. 12, 2015. More than 200 leaders from politics, business and society representing more than 20 countries will discuss major global challenges and their impact on Europe, Ukraine and the world. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky) (The Associated Press)

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Ukraine's Minister of Finance Natalie Jaresko speaks during the 12th annual meeting entitled “At Risk: How New Ukraine’s Fate Affects Europe and the World” organized by the Yalta European Strategy (YES) in partnership with the Victor Pinchuk Foundation at the Mystetsky Arsenal Art Center in Kiev, Ukraine, Saturday, Sept. 12, 2015. More than 200 leaders from politics, business and society representing more than 20 countries will discuss major global challenges and their impact on Europe, Ukraine and the world. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky) (The Associated Press)

Assistant U.S. Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs Victoria Nuland during the 12th Annual Meeting entitled “At Risk: How New Ukraine’s Fate Affects Europe and the World” organized by the Yalta European Strategy (YES) in partnership with the Victor Pinchuk Foundation at the Mystetsky Arsenal Art Center in Kiev, Ukraine, Saturday, Sept. 12, 2015. More than 200 leaders from politics, business and society representing more than 20 countries will discuss major global challenges and their impact on Europe, Ukraine and the world. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky) (The Associated Press)

KIEV, Ukraine – The head of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe says a renewed cease-fire in eastern Ukraine has held for more than 10 days, creating the possibility of progress on the political level to end the fighting.

Despite a cease-fire declared in February, both Ukrainian troops and the Russia-backed separatists continued to carry out artillery strikes until they pledged anew to implement the truce on Sept. 1.

OSCE Secretary General Lamberto Zannier said Saturday in Kiev he had just come from Mariupol and Shyrokyne, a center of recent fighting, and the situation is calm.

He told The Associated Press "the cease-fire now has been holding for more than 10 days and that's good news."

He said this also allows OSCE monitors to expand their functions.