MOSCOW, August 21./ITAR-TASS/.The planned meeting of the Russian, Belarusian, Kazakh and Ukrainian presidents in Minsk is expected to be "one of stages on the way of de-escalation of the conflict" in Ukraine, Sergei Naryshkin, Speaker of the Russian parliament's lower house State Duma, told reporters on Thursday.

"De-escalation of the conflict in Ukraine and cessation of the armed confrontation are impossible without a dialogue, first of all between political forces and all the regions in the country, Ukraine itself, and without an international dialogue," Naryshkin said.

The Kremlin press service reported earlier that Russian President Vladimir Putin, together with the leaders of the other two countries of the Customs Union (Belarus and Kazakhstan), would meet with Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko in Minsk on August 26. European Commission representatives will be also present.

The European Commission press service said EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Catherine Ashton and EU trade and energy commissioners Karel De Gucht and Gnter Oettinger would arrive in Minsk for the meeting.

The participants in the meeting will discuss the humanitarian situation in eastern Ukraine and relations between the Customs Union countries and Ukraine in connection with Kiev’s signing of the association agreement with the EU.