Klimkin, Gabriel discuss situation in Donbas and Crimea

The Ukrainian and German foreign ministers discussed the situation in Donbas and Crimea, as well as further steps to counteract Russian aggression.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Pavlo Klimkin said this during a joint press conference with German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel in Kyiv on Wednesday, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

"We talked about the occupied Crimea and Donbas. And we will continue our conversation tomorrow," Klimkin said.

On Thursday, January 4, the ministers will make a joint trip to Donbas.

Klimkin informed his colleague about the tense situation in Donbas. "We do not have a real ceasefire, in the last few days we had more than 60 shelling, more than a third of attacks were launched using illegal weapons, we lost three servicemen, fifteen soldiers were wounded," he added.

The foreign ministers also discussed further joint steps aimed at restoring the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine, as well as the release of Ukrainian political prisoners held in Russia.

Klimkin and Gabriel paid special attention to the issues of bilateral cooperation, which, in their view, was dynamic and fruitful. The parties also noted an increase in figures of the economic and investment cooperation. The Government of the Federal Republic of Germany provides significant assistance in implementing systemic reforms in Ukraine.

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