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Ukrainian, German top diplomats to hold talks in Kiev, to visit Donbass on January 3-4

The talks will focus on stances of France and Germany in the Normandy Four group seeking solutions to the conflict in Donbass

KIEV, January 2. /TASS/. German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel will arrive in Kiev on Wednesday for talks with Ukrainian counterpart Pavel Klimkin and later they will visit Donbass, Ukrainian Foreign Ministry’s press service said on Tuesday.

"On January 3-4, Germany’s Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel will pay a working visit to Ukraine. Talks with Foreign Minister Pavel Klimkin are due to take place at the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry. Later, the ministers will head together to the contact line in Donbass," the press service said.

The talks will focus on stances of France and Germany in the Normandy Four group seeking solutions to the conflict in Donbass.

The first meeting in the so-called Normandy Four format was held in France’s Normandy on June 6, 2014 during celebrations of the 70th anniversary of allied troops’ landing. Then the leaders of Russia, Ukraine, France and Germany discussed solutions to the conflict in southeast Ukraine.

In February 2015, Russian President Vladimir Putin, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, French President Francois Hollande and Ukrainian President Pyotr Poroshenko held 17-hour-long talks in Minsk approving the Package of Measures for implementation of the Minsk agreements - the basis for peace in Donbass. Numerous phone calls, summits and ministerial meetings have taken place since then.

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Ukraine crisis Pyotr Poroshenko Pavlo Klimkin

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