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Russia’s UN envoy doubts feasibility of holding new Normandy Four summits

The meeting is held on Russia’s initiative with the participation of DPR and LPR representatives, while representatives of Ukraine, France and Germany attempted to block the meeting and refused to participate in it

UNITED NATIONS, December 2. /TASS/. The behavior of France and Germany at the UN raises questions regarding the feasibility of holding new Normandy Four summits, Russia’s Permanent Representative to the UN Vasily Nebenzya said during an informal meeting of the UN Security Council held in the video format under the Arria Formula, dedicated to the implementation of the Minsk Agreements on Ukraine.

The meeting is held on Russia’s initiative with the participation of DPR and LPR representatives, while representatives of Ukraine, France and Germany attempted to block the meeting and refused to participate in it.

"What happened today undermines the role of Berlin and Paris as mediators in resolving the Ukrainian crisis," Nebenzya said. "They are more concerned with covering for the Ukrainian government." "This raises questions on the feasibility of holding new Normandy Four summits," he said. "Without the implementation of agreements reached during them <…> they do not have the added value."

"We are shocked by the attempts of our French and German colleagues, participants of the Normandy format, to boycott this meeting under a ridiculous pretext, claiming that its format does not correspond to the Normandy format," the envoy added. "Moreover, we know that they tirelessly worked with other delegations to dissuade them from taking part in the meeting."

Nevertheless, the meeting caused a great deal of interest from many UN delegations. Representatives of China, Indonesia, Niger, the Dominican Republic, Belarus, Morocco, Egypt, India, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Vietnam, Syria, South Africa, Uzbekistan, Venezuela, Vanuatu, Algeria and Tunisia.

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