٠٠:٠٣:٠٩Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov spoke to press in Paris, Thursday, following the latest round of 'Normandy format' talks on the Ukraine conflict.
Discussing the lack of progress made on the issue of elections in Donbass, Lavrov placed the Blame on Kiev stating: "To our great regret there has been no progress yet on the main issue of the political process – the preparation of elections. Commitments by the Ukrainian authorities to agree on the questions related to the elections in Donbass still haven't materialised."
"The suggestion during today's meeting to call on all sides to agree on holding elections in the first half of the year, by June-July 2016, was voiced by our German and French colleagues today. We were ready to support it, but the Ukrainian side asked not to insist on that point, and as a result there was no consensus," he added.
During the briefing, Lavrov also noted that "Germany and France have a complete understanding that the sequence of steps, fixed in the Minsk accord and reaffirmed by the Normandy Four leaders on October 4 in Paris, is immutable."
France: Lavrov blames Kiev for lack of progess at Ukraine peace talks
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov spoke to press in Paris, Thursday, following the latest round of 'Normandy format' talks on the Ukraine conflict.
Discussing the lack of progress made on the issue of elections in Donbass, Lavrov placed the Blame on Kiev stating: "To our great regret there has been no progress yet on the main issue of the political process – the preparation of elections. Commitments by the Ukrainian authorities to agree on the questions related to the elections in Donbass still haven't materialised."
"The suggestion during today's meeting to call on all sides to agree on holding elections in the first half of the year, by June-July 2016, was voiced by our German and French colleagues today. We were ready to support it, but the Ukrainian side asked not to insist on that point, and as a result there was no consensus," he added.
During the briefing, Lavrov also noted that "Germany and France have a complete understanding that the sequence of steps, fixed in the Minsk accord and reaffirmed by the Normandy Four leaders on October 4 in Paris, is immutable."
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov spoke to press in Paris, Thursday, following the latest round of 'Normandy format' talks on the Ukraine conflict.
Discussing the lack of progress made on the issue of elections in Donbass, Lavrov placed the Blame on Kiev stating: "To our great regret there has been no progress yet on the main issue of the political process – the preparation of elections. Commitments by the Ukrainian authorities to agree on the questions related to the elections in Donbass still haven't materialised."
"The suggestion during today's meeting to call on all sides to agree on holding elections in the first half of the year, by June-July 2016, was voiced by our German and French colleagues today. We were ready to support it, but the Ukrainian side asked not to insist on that point, and as a result there was no consensus," he added.
During the briefing, Lavrov also noted that "Germany and France have a complete understanding that the sequence of steps, fixed in the Minsk accord and reaffirmed by the Normandy Four leaders on October 4 in Paris, is immutable."