BERLIN, December 29. /TASS/. The German Cabinet confirmed Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s advisor Jens Ploetner’s plans to hold negotiations with Russian Deputy Administration head Dmitry Kozak, Cabinet spokesman Wolfgang Buechner said Wednesday.

"There is a number of talks ahead. The first is planned between the US and Russia in Geneva," he said, adding that the Russia-NATO Council may convene on January 12. "Besides, bilateral negotiations between Russia and Germany have already been agreed upon - between the Chancellor’s foreign policy advisor Ploetner and Russia’s chief negotiator on Ukraine Kozak," he said.

"It is clear that there is a number of diplomatic initiatives present, and it has always been this way," Buechner believes. According to the spokesman, the German government seeks to facilitate the de-escalation of the conflict between Russia and the West.

"The German government has always underscored that we seek to revitalize the Normandy format," he said, underscoring that this topic was discussed at the EU summit, and a "great support" of this way was expressed there.

German Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Andrea Sasse noted that Germany is closely coordinating its actions on negotiations with Russia with its EU and US partners.

Earlier, DPA reported about the plans for the Ploetner-Kozak meeting. According to the report, the German official called on Russia to de-escalate and advocated further cooperation within the Normandy Format during his phone call with Kozak.