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11May16

Normandy Four top diplomats discuss Ukrainian crisis in Berlin

The meeting of the "Normandy Quartet" (Russia, Germany, France, Ukraine) at the level of foreign ministers has started in Berlin.

The foreign ministers will discuss the implementation of the Minsk Agreements, observation of ceasefire regime in Donbass, organization of local election, amnesty, constitutional reforms, and prisoner exchange, a TASS correspondent reported from the scene on Wednesday.

Before the meeting, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov held bilateral talks with his German counterpart Frank-Walter Steinmeier.

On Tuesday Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that efforts in the framework of the "Normandy format" are the basis for the implementation of Minsk Accords, but the situation remains deplorable for the time being. Peskov said that "the Normandy process for now remains the main basis for efforts to search for a settlement of the crisis in Ukraine, so maintaining it is extremely important."

The last meeting of the "Normandy Quartet" at the level of foreign ministers was held on March 3 in Paris.

Normandy format

The "Normandy format" brings together Russian President Vladimir Putin, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, French President Francois Hollande and Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko. The format was first established in June 2014, when the four leaders held talks on the Ukrainian crisis during D-Day celebrations in Normandy.

On February 12, the sides signed the Minsk agreements on the settlement of the situation in Ukraine after negotiations in Minsk.

The Minsk accords envisage ceasefire, weaponry withdrawal, prisoner exchange, local elections in Donbass, constitutional reform in Ukraine and establishing working sub-groups on security, political, economy and humanitarian components of the Minsk accords.

[Source: Itar Tass, Berlin, 11May16]
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