BONN /Germany/, July 18. /TASS/. The latest meeting of the Contact Group on Ukraine was the most efficient one in the entire period of the group's existence," Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Thursday after talks with his German counterpart, Heiko Maas.

"Now, after the election of President [of Ukraine Vladimir] Zelensky, the Contact Group has activated its work and has held several meetings," Lavrov said. "Its regular meeting yesterday, according to our negotiators in the Contact Group, was the most resultative over the entire period of this structure’s existence."

"Agreements have been reached to disengage forces, including in Stanitsa Luganskaya, where the disengagement process has already started. Representatives of Ukraine’s new authorities came out with an initiative to disengage forces along the entire contact line. It is a positive signal," he noted. "Apart from that, agreements are about to be reached on the exchange of prisoners, at least the parties have agreed to draw up the corresponding lists. These are good, positive steps and we will spare no effort to have them materialized."