MOSCOW, March 29. /TASS/. The leaders of Russia, France, Germany and Ukraine Vladimir Putin, Emmanuel Macron, Angela Merkel and Pyotr Poroshenko will consider within coming months ways of speeding up the implementation of the Minsk Accords.

"The Normandy Quartet leaders reaffirm their commitment to the implementation of the Minsk Accords in relation to all of their aspects (security, political, humanitarian and economic issues). They will consider likely ways of accelerating the implementation of agreements in the coming months," the four leaders said in a statement quoted by the Kremlin’s press-service.

"Against the backdrop of the successful exchange of 300 prisoners on December 27, 2017 they called for more active efforts for exchanging all others still remaining in custody on the basis of the all-for-all principle," the statement runs.

The Normandy format of talks on Ukraine was established in June 2014. During celebrations on the occasion of the 70th anniversary of the allied forces’ landing in Normandy during World War II the leaders of Russia, France, Germany and Ukraine for the first time discussed ways of settling the Ukrainian conflict. Since then there has been a number of telephone conversations and meetings at the summit level and contacts among foreign ministers. Last time the Normandy Quartet foreign ministers met a year ago - in Munich in February 2017.