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Lavrov, OSCE representative Sajdik to discuss Ukraine crisis on September 8

The officials will discuss the issue of the crisis settlement in Ukraine

MOSCOW, August 31./TASS/. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov will meet in Moscow on September 8 with the Special Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office in Ukraine, Martin Sajdik, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told a briefing on Wednesday.

She said on September 8-9 Martin Sajdik "will make a working trip to Moscow, during which he will meet with the Russian foreign minister". The diplomats "plan to discuss in detail the issue of the crisis settlement in Ukraine with an emphasis on a need for an urgent implementation by the parties in the conflict of commitments on the Minsk Package of Measures," Zakharova said.

"Unfortunately, we are stating that despite painstaking work in the Contact Group of Martin Sajdik and his colleagues - coordinators of the working subgroups, as well as readiness of Donetsk and Lugansk representatives for compromises, the implementation of the Minsk agreements is stalling," Zakharova said.

She also said "discussion of different aspects of the activity of the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission" will be among the focal points at the talks.

"The Russian side intends to draw attention of Mr. Sajdik to a need to make the reports prepared by that agency more prompt and unbiased," the diplomat said.

"Still on agenda is the issue of increasing the number of observers to the maximum allowed (1,000 people) and prospects for strengthening the presence of the mission on both sides of the line of contact," she said.