Normandy format summit in Berlin to be held after full implementation of Paris accords – French ambassador

A prerequisite for the next Normandy Four summit in Berlin is the full implementation of the agreements reached by the leaders of Ukraine, France, Germany and Russia in Paris on December 9, 2019.

French Ambassador to Ukraine Etienne de Poncins said this in an interview with the RBC-Ukraine news agency.

"When all the [Paris] agreements are fulfilled, the summit will take place [in Berlin], and then the next steps will be taken. A summit for the sake of the summit is a waste of time," the diplomat said.

When asked whether the Berlin summit could take place in the coming months, the ambassador answered in the affirmative, noting that "we want to remain optimistic."

Commenting on ideas regarding new formats for negotiations to resolve the armed conflict in Donbas, the French ambassador said that “there can be no other options except the Minsk and Normandy formats.”

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