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Steinmeier: the foreign ministers of the Normandy Quartet to discuss the Minsk agreements

German Foreign Minister Frank Walter Steinmeier also told, it is impossible to stabilize situation in Ukraine without agreement on disengagement line and weapons withdrawal

© AP Photo/Michael Sohn

BERLIN, January 21 /TASS/. The Normandy Quartet foreign ministers will try to find a solution to the Ukraine crisis despite the fact that the sides in conflict either cannot or do not want to reach a settlement, German Foreign Minister Frank Walter Steinmeier said before the Normandy Quartet (Russia, Germany, France and Ukraine) started its ministerial meeting in Berlin on Wednesday.

“The situation in eastern Ukraine has become more dangerous in recent days. People are dying. It happens because the sides in conflict either do not want or simply cannot implement the previously signed agreements,” the German foreign minister said.

“I am convinced that it would be impossible to reduce tensions without agreement on the disengagement line and heavy weapons withdrawal. People are paying the price for the inability to implement the Minsk agreements. There are killed and wounded,” Steinmeier went on to say.

He added that the Normandy format ministerial meeting held last week had not produced any breakthroughs.

“That is why ahead of today’s discussions I signaled that that it was necessary to make progress on searching for a solution. It is necessary to come closer to the crisis settlement and show readiness to create conditions for a summit meeting in Astana,” the German foreign policy chief said.

He said that the Normandy Quartet foreign ministers would make another attempt of a constructive dialogue and would search for a possibility to implement all the points of the Minsk agreements.

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