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Progress on Minsk Agreements needed before summit in Normandy format — Lavrov

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said that "the agreements reached earlier by the leaders of the Normandy format" should be be fulfilled first before preparing for another summit

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov Artyom Geodakyan/TASS

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov

© Artyom Geodakyan/TASS

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Kiev needs to muster up courage to comply with Minsk accords, says diplomat

MOSCOW, August 27. /TASS/. Progress in the implementation of the Package of measures of the Minsk Agreements and working in accordance with the "Steinmeier formula" are necessary prerequisites for preparing a summit in the Normandy format (Russia, Ukraine, France, Germany), Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Tuesday.

"We should firstly fulfill the agreements reached earlier by the leaders of the Normandy format. This includes starting a sustainable process of disengagements of forces — some things are being done in this sphere, but the process is not complete. Secondly, the so-called 'Steinmeier formula' should be used as it clearly states how the law on the special status of Donbass will be implemented and how elections will be held. When we see progress in these spheres, we will probably be ready to start preparing for the new summit," Lavrov told Channel One.

French President Emmanuel Macron said earlier at the press-conference after the G7 summit in France's Biarritz that he plans to organize a summit in the Normandy format on Ukraine settlement in September. The last summit in the Normandy format took place on 19-20 October 2016 in Berlin.

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