Q: Yesterday, the minister stated that if the Normandy format negotiations were to continue, that would be a positive sign. Russia and Ukraine said that no progress was achieved during the Berlin discussions and that there was no talk of dates for another meeting. What is your assessment of this meeting?
Regarding the Normandy format, will technical discussions continue and, if so, with what frequency?
A: The Normandy format advisors (Germany, France, Russia and Ukraine) who met in Berlin yesterday continued their discussions on the implementation of the Minsk agreements and, in particular, the political, humanitarian and security-related sections of these agreements.
Despite the lengthy and challenging nature of the exchanges, they confirmed that there is a shared desire to implement the Minsk agreements.
The Normandy format advisors to the heads of state and government agreed to meet again after the next Trilateral Contact Group meeting, which will take place in two weeks' time.