Kuleba, Maas discuss prospects for Normandy Four meeting and situation in Belarus

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba discussed with his German counterpart Heiko Maas the prospects for a meeting of the Normandy Four ministers and the situation in Belarus.

"Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba held a phone conversation with German Federal Foreign Minister Heiko Maas on August 13 ... The parties discussed the prospects for contacts of the Normandy Four at the ministerial level and agreed that such a meeting of the four ministers is urgently needed in the coming months," the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry’s press service reported.

The interlocutors discussed the situation in Donbas. Kuleba informed Maas about a complete and comprehensive ceasefire, thanks to which there have been no killed or wounded Ukrainian soldiers for more than two weeks. The ministers agreed that the sustainable ceasefire in the JFO area could create preconditions for a further peaceful settlement.

"The two ministers exchanged views on the situation in Belarus. Kuleba informed Maas about the detention by the Belarusian authorities of two Ukrainian human rights defenders, Yevhen Vasyliev and Kostiantyn Reutsky. The ministers agreed to monitor this situation," the report says.

In addition, the ministers discussed the situation with the spread of COVID-19 in both countries and the measures taken by governments to counter the coronavirus.

The Ukrainian foreign minister thanked his German counterpart for accepting the invitation to visit Ukraine on Independence Day.

As reported, Ukrainian citizens Kostiantyn Reutsky and Yevhen Vasylyev were detained in Minsk at about 17:00 on August 12. The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry noted that Ukraine’s Embassy in Belarus is taking measures to establish their whereabouts and conditions of detention.

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