MOSCOW, September 29 /TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin and German Chancellor Angela Merkel agreed in a telephone conversation held on Thursday that it was expedient to synchronize efforts on security and political aspects of the Donbass settlement, the Kremlin press service said.
"They continued discussing Ukraine-related problems in the context of implementing the Minsk package of measures (Minsk-2) signed on February 12, 2015 and agreed on the expediency of synchronizing efforts on security and political aspects of the (Donbass) settlement. In this context, the sides assessed positively an agreement on the disengagement of forces in three pilot points singed within the framework of the Minsk Contact Group as well as the role of the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission in ensuring the observation of the ceasefire regime," the Kremlin press service said.
Putin and Merkel agreed timetable of further Normandy Quartet contacts at various levels.
"Putin drew attention to the unilateral ceasefire which the Donbass leaders had announced quite recently and expressed the hope that the Ukrainian side would act accordingly and would, in turn, refrain from armed provocations in the conflict zone and would, finally, take real steps to meet its political obligations, which include an amnesty and a constitutional reform; the granting of special status to Donbas and enshrining it in legal documents as well as the organization of local elections," the press service stressed.
The telephone conversation took place at the German side’s request.