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Merkel confirms agreement on four new zones of disengagement in Donbass

German Chancellor Angela Merkel says work on Ukraine settlement will be outlined in roadmap
 German Chancellor Angela Merkel EPA/WOLFGANG KUMM
German Chancellor Angela Merkel
© EPA/WOLFGANG KUMM

BERLIN, October 20. /TASS/. German Chancellor Angela Merkel has confirmed that the Normandy Four leaders have reached an agreement at talks in Berlin on establishing four new zones of disengagement of forces in Donbass.

"First steps on creating three zones of disengagement have already been made, a lot of work is ahead. Four more similar zones should be created," Merkel told a press conference on Thursday.

Access for  OSCE observers

According to Merkel, the Normandy Four reached an agreement on access of OSCE observers to the Russian-Ukrainian border in Donbass.

"The Minsk Agreements envisage access of Ukrainians to the border at the end of the process. Meanwhile, an agreement was reached - it was discussed in detail today - on free movement of OSCE observers near the border," Merkel said. "There are cases when it is possible now, and the Russian president noted that, and other cases when it is not possible," she added.

"When the law on election is ready, when the working process is coordinated, then we can talk about an OSCE mission, which may be armed. However, today it was of absolutely no urgency. At first we need a law on election," Merkel said.

Roadmap

Merkel said the Normandy Four plans to bring together approaches to security issues in east Ukraine and political settleement in the framework of the roadmap.

"We discussed the working process in which there are many sides and from which one should proceed in the work on such issues as security, political process," Merkel said. "This should continue in the framework of the roadmap on different steps of the Package of measures on implemeting the Minsk Agreements. This is a progress," she added.

"We agreed that work on the roadmap will continue in the next month at the level of foreign ministries, and will be more intensive," Merkel said, adding that the Normandy Four leaders think regular meetings necessary in the future.