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Russia ready to help boosting OSCE monitoring mission in Ukraine — Lavrov

Lavrov said the mission should be consolidated "in every possible way" to ensure its task of control over ceasefire and disengagement

PARIS, July 4. /TASS/. Russian side is ready to help the strengthening of the OSCE's Special Monitoring Mission (SMM) in Ukraine in every possible way, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Thursday upon the completion of talks with his French counterpart Jean-Yves Le Drian.

"We support the OSCE both in terms of chairmanship in the Contact Group (in charge of talks on settling the armed civil conflict in eastern Ukraine TASS) and facilitation of activity of the SMM," he said. "We're prepared to consolidate this mission in every possible way so that it could establish full-fledged control over ceasefire and disengagement of the warring sides."

"We confirmed on both sides the importance of full compliance with the Minsk Complex of Measures (for implementation of the peace accords on eastern Ukraine TASS), with account of the agreements reached at top level within the Normandy Format," Lavrov said. "These agreements aim to eliminate the deadlock around the crucial document endorsed by the UN Security Council.".

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