Next Normandy format ministerial meeting to take place in a month – Maas
German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said this after a Normandy format video conference on Thursday, April 30, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.
"Not only the pandemic impedes the holding of a new summit, but also the fact that the implementation of the agreed decisions has become more complicated ... The condition for the new summit is the implementation of the agreements already reached," Maas explained.
Maas said that many of the elements agreed in Minsk and Paris have yet to be implemented. “These compromises, which are the result of long and hard negotiations, mustn’t be destroyed, including through inaction,” the minister added.
He emphasized that the purpose of the current meeting was to give a new impetus to this process and create "pressure" to implement what can be done, namely in issues of creating new checkpoints, mine clearance, detainee exchanges, etc.
Both Western partners are pleased that Russia and Ukraine confirmed their commitment to continue to implement the Paris agreements.
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