BERLIN
The German, Russian, Ukrainian and French foreign ministers will meet in Berlin on Monday for talks on the Ukraine cease-fire deal, the German foreign ministry announced Thursday.
The announcement of fresh talks came as international monitors reported an increase in cease-fire violations and criticized restrictions imposed on observers in accessing the conflict areas in eastern Ukraine.
“The goal of the Normandy four format talks on Monday is to continue work on the implementation of the agreements reached in Minsk,” a spokeswoman from the German foreign ministry said.
Germany and France have carried out intense diplomacy to find a political solution to the conflict in eastern Ukraine and convinced the conflict's parties to sign the cease-fire deal.
The leaders of the four countries held their first talks on the Ukrainian crisis in “Normandy,” France in June 2014, on the 70th anniversary of the D-Day landings.
The Minsk cease-fire agreement of Feb. 12 foresees the withdrawal of heavy weaponry from combat areas, the withdrawal of all foreign-armed formations and the release of all hostages and unlawfully detained persons, as well as political reforms and decentralization in the eastern Ukrainian regions.
The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, which monitors the cease-fire in eastern Ukraine, has suggested on Wednesday setting up working groups on security, political, economic and humanitarian issues, in order to achieve progress in implementing the Minsk agreement.
More than 6,000 people have lost their lives in the conflict between Ukrainian forces and the pro-Russian separatists since April 2014, according to the United Nations.
