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French leader calls for soonest implementation of Normandy Four agreements

French President Emmanuel Macron Philippe Wojazer/Pool Photo via AP

French President Emmanuel Macron

© Philippe Wojazer/Pool Photo via AP

PARIS, June 16. /TASS/. In a phone conversation with his Ukrainian counterpart, French President Emmanuel Macron said the agreements, reached by the Normandy Four foreign ministers earlier this month, should be implemented without delay, the Elysee Palace press service said on Saturday.

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Normandy Four meeting was useful - Lavrov

"The French president stressed that all sides should implement measures, agreed by the foreign ministers and aimed at enhancing the ceasefire and protecting civilian infrastructure, as soon as possible," the French presidential administration said in a statement.

According to the statement, the discussion on the eastern Ukrainian conflict settlement was held with regard to the French leader’s exchange of opinions with German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Macron’s May 24-25 visit to Russia.

Macron and Ukrainian President Pyotr Poroshenko also discussed bilateral relations and reforms in Ukraine.

"The French president welcomed the adoption of a bill to set up the anti-corruption court," the statement reads.

The sides "agreed to maintain contact on the whole range of issues and stressed the need to continue efforts within the Normandy format framework."

Top diplomats of the Normandy Four nations - France, Germany, Russia and Ukraine - met in Germany’s capital Berlin on June 11.

According to Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, the meeting was very useful, although the parties failed to resolve all problems. He stressed though that the ministers "once again looked at the overall situation - in the sphere of security, political reforms, economy and humanitarian issues." Russia’s top diplomat noted that they also reaffirmed the inviolability of the Minsk agreements.

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