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EU leaders see positive developments in Ukraine’s settlement — Van Rompuy

Implementing the ceasefire agreement reached in Minsk would guarantee again a futur for Ukraine, President of the European Council Herman Van Rompuy says

President of the European Council Herman Van Rompuy EPA/DANIELE MASCOLO

President of the European Council Herman Van Rompuy

© EPA/DANIELE MASCOLO

MILAN, October 17. /TASS/. Leaders of the European Union see positive developments in the settlement of the situation in Ukraine, President of the European Council Herman Van Rompuy told reporters after a working breakfast at the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) summit in Milan on Friday.

“What we agreed was the protocol of Minsk on the ceasefire and the peace plan is of crucial importance,” Rompuy said. “We have to implement this. This would guarantee again a future for Ukraine. So implementation, implementation, implementation — that are the key words.”

He said that at the working breakfast the leaders agreed to continue discussions on two main issues related to Ukraine’s crisis.

“The discussion will continue on two specific but crucial issues — the organization of elections in the coming weeks and months and the monitoring of borders,” he said. “And so we’ve agreed that these are important things for further discussions this afternoon and the days afterwards.”

The Russian and Ukrainian Presidents, Vladimir Putin and Petro Poroshenko, as well as German Chancellor Angela Merkel, French President Francois Hollande, Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi, British Prime Minister David Cameron, President of the European Commission Jose Manuel Barroso and President of the European Council Herman Van Rompuy took part in the working breakfast that lasted for an hour and a half.

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Ukraine crisis Ukraine European Council Herman Van Rompuy

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