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Developments in eastern Ukraine

Russia calls on Kiev to establish direct contacts with self-proclaimed Ukrainian republics

Kiev authorities are actively unwilling to conduct a normal dialogue with the DPR and LPR thus violating the basics of the Ukraine settlement process, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister says

© TASS Archive/Mikhail Pochuev

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Normandy Four political directors hold talks on Ukraine in Paris

PARIS, March 25 /TASS/. The Kiev government should start a direct dialogue with the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Luhansk People's Republics (DPR and LPR) if it wants a political process to begin in eastern Ukraine, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister and State Secretary Grigory Karasin told journalists on Monday.

"Implementation of the February 12 agreements adopted in Minsk was the main topic on the agenda of today’s talks. Regretfully, they are being implemented slowly or totally ignored," Karasin said noting the start of political process was the most urgent task for Ukraine.

"The fact that the political process is idling against the background of relative stabilization of the military situation is a source of our greatest concern. There is no dialogue of which the ‘Normandy four’ participants used to speak a lot at all levels, including the presidents," the Russian diplomat went on to say.

He said the Kiev authorities were actively unwilling to conduct a normal dialogue with the DPR and LPR thus violating the basics of the Ukraine settlement process.

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"The main task today is to start a dialogue and a political process. The Minsk agreements fixed in black and white the intention of all participants in the process, including Kiev, Donetsk, Luрansk and international brokers, to reach a political settlement by late 2015. It is written on paper. This year will pass quickly," Karasin stressed.

"Therefore, it is necessary to speed up and encourage in every possible way direct contacts between Kiev and Ukraine’s south-eastern regions," Karasin concluded.

The Russian diplomat took part in the "Normandy four" (Russia, Germany, Ukraine and France) meeting which was held at the level political directors in Paris on Monday.

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Eastern Ukraine

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