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Russian, German top diplomats agree to continue Normandy-format efforts

The foreign ministers reiterated their readiness to continue close cooperation within the Normandy format

© Alexander Scherbak/TASS

MOSCOW, Moscow 5. /TASS/. Russian and German Foreign Ministers, Sergey Lavrov and Sigmar Gabriel, have reiterated their readiness to continue Normandy-format efforts towards settlement of the situation in Ukraine, the Russian foreign ministry said on Friday after their telephone conversation.

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"The ministers reiterated their readiness to continue close cooperation within the Normandy format in the interests of the soonest settlement of Ukraine’s domestic conflict on the basis of full implementation by the parties of the Minsk Package of Measures," the ministry said.

Lavrov and Gabriel stressed the necessity to ensure sustainable ceasefire, to establish security zones and withdraw heavy weapons from the contact line in Donbass.

Apart from that, the Russian side drew special attention to the "priority of parallel movement towards implementation of political provisions of the Minsk agreements," the ministry said. "Lavrov also called to exert pressure on the Kiev authorities to push them to lift the trade-and-economic and transport blockade [of Donbass]."

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