MOSCOW, October 22. /TASS/. The Normandy Four talks are not easy, and it is not often the parties manage to have common language, both literally and figuratively, press secretary of the Russian president, Dmitry Peskov said in an interview with the Vesti V Subbotu weekly television program on Saturday.
"Common language is seen not that often as desired," he said. "At the same time, probably, as yet at this stage a lack of common language at least partially compensates for readiness of the Normandy Four leaders to continue working in that format. This is extremely important."
Peskov told the audience about the talks, in the sense of command of foreign languages among the Normandy Four leaders. Russia’s President Vladimir Putin, he said, "may be joking in German with Merkel, and then it becomes very complicated for his assistance who do not speak German." At the same time, Putin "can also speak English, he uses greatly the English language to talk ‘briefly’ with Hollande." The French president speaks English. Ukraine’s President Pyotr Poroshenko "is trying to speak three languages." "Sometimes he begins speaking English, the parties are exchanging inquiring looks, but interpreters react masterly, translating both into Russian and Ukrainian. Some of phrases he says in Russian," Peskov said.
Despite the few languages among the talks participants, he continued, "the atmosphere is very quick, everyone knows the topic." Moreover, he continued, all talks take that long not for time spent to translate speeches. "The organizers, and namely the federal chancellor's authority, in this has provided ideal conditions for work.".