German Foreign Minister calls for full implementation of Minsk Agreements
The German Minister of Foreign Affairs, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, wrote on his Facebook page that Berlin favors the full implementation of the Minsk Agreements, the holding of local elections in the occupied territories of eastern Ukraine, and the release of all prisoners.
Steinmeir made it clear that the increase in the number of skirmishes in the Donbas region during the winter holidays is cause for concern. The Minister noted that he asked the Special Representative of the OSCE in Ukraine, Martin Sajdik, and all participants of the Contact group on the Donbas region to help implement the ceasefire during the Christmas and New Year celebrations.
“We will support the implementation of the Minsk Agreements... in full force in 2016. Here we will focus on the schedule that was agreed on during the Normandy Four meeting in Paris on October 2nd,” Steinmeier wrote.
“We must continue to work hard to guarantee local elections in early 2016. The terms of the Minsk Agreements should be fully implemented through the full restoration of Ukrainian control over its border,” the Minister noted.
“All parties to the conflict should take urgent humanitarian measures to release all prisoners and hostages, remove all restrictions on registration of charitable organizations in the Donbas and renew water supplies in the region,” Steinmeier stressed.
As Obozrevatel previously reported, it is possible that Russian President Vladimir Putin will discuss the problem of the Donbas region with his Ukrainian counterpart, Petro Poroshenko, before the New Year.