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France to coordinate Normandy Four summit in Berlin with Russia, Germany

The meeting will take place only if all the parties demonstrate their will to make progress

Russian President Vladimir Putin, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, French President Francois Hollande and Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko at peace talks in Minsk, Belarus AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko

Russian President Vladimir Putin, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, French President Francois Hollande and Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko at peace talks in Minsk, Belarus

© AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko

PARIS, October 12. /TASS/. France plans to coordinate the issue of arranging the next Normandy Quartet (Russia, Ukraine, France, Germany) summit in Berlin, French government spokesman Stephane Le Foll said on Wednesday.

"The leaders’ representatives will prepare the possible Normandy Quartet summit in Berlin. Today contacts with (Russian President) Vladimir Putin and (German Chansellor) Angela Merkel will be established while tomorrow we will get in touch with (Ukrainian President) Pyotr Poroshenko," Le Foll said.

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Earlier on Wednesday, French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault mentioned the possibility of the Normandy Quartet summit to be held in Berlin in the nearest future. "The idea is to organize the meeting of the leaders [of the four countries] in Berlin but the meeting will take place only if all the parties demonstrate the will to make progress," he said in an interview with the French Europe1 radio station.

The meeting "does not seem impossible" at the moment, Ayrault added noting that "it will depend on the good will of all the parties." He also said that a ceasefire should be established in Donbass as well as "Ukraine should implement reforms."

At the same time the minister did not indicate any possible date for the summit. Ayrault stated that France still sought the lifting of sanctions imposed on Russia but that would be possible only if the Minsk agreements were implemented. "We stand for the lifting of sanctions, Russia wants it, too, but it depends on the implementation of the Minsk peace agreements," the French foreign minister said.

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