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Adviser to the German Chancellor for Foreign Affairs Jens Plötner and diplomatic adviser to the President of France Emmanuel Bonn visited Kyiv in accordance with the previous agreements reached during a video conference on January 4 this year.
This was reported by UA with reference to the website of the Office of the President of Ukraine.
Before that, Emmanuel Bonn and Jens Plötner held talks in Moscow, as part of the continuation of the dialogue in the Normandy format.
There was a wide exchange of views on ways to intensify joint work within the Normandy format.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy welcomed the efforts that Ukraine’s partners in the Normandy format continue to make for the practical implementation of the leaders’ agreements reached during the Paris Summit of the “Normandy Four” in December 2019.
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“It is time to negotiate an end to the conflict, and we are ready for the necessary decisions during the new summit of the leaders of the four countries” – he said.
The interlocutors exchanged views on the current situation and continued discussions on further steps towards a peaceful settlement of the Russian-Ukrainian conflict, as well as de-escalation of the situation on Ukraine’s borders.
The head of the President’s Office Andriy Yermak confirmed that the Ukrainian side remains committed to the political and diplomatic path of settlement.
He stressed the need to ensure compliance with the ceasefire, further steps in the mutual release of detainees and the opening of the checkpoints, as well as other decisions of the Paris Summit of the leaders of the “Normandy Four”.
The parties agreed to continue to maintain contacts within the Normandy format at the level of advisers in order to agree on modalities for the organization of the next summit of leaders of the countries participating in the Normandy format.
“Ukraine, France and Germany are making active efforts to restore effective work in the Normandy format at various levels. We expect that the Russian side will support these efforts, as well as contribute to the progress in implementing the decisions of the Paris Summit of the “Quartet of Normandy”. Holding the next summit in the Normandy format would give a serious impetus to the peace process” – said Andriy Yermak.
Ukraine provided German and French advisers to the leaders of the countries of the Normandy format with detailed information on the implementation by the parties of the Minsk agreements and decisions of the last summit in 2019.
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