MOSCOW (Sputnik) — The group of four countries – dubbed "Normandy Four" after their leaders met during WWII Normandy landings' anniversary celebrations in northern France – has been holding regular meetings on the Ukraine conflict since June 2014.
German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier urged the negotiators in February to work together toward the implementation of a February 2015 peace agreement’s provision on regional elections in breakaway Donbas, in eastern Ukraine.
Under the Minsk Agreement, local militias promised to hold internationally-monitored elections in Donetsk and Luhansk provinces in early 2016. In return, Kiev agreed to grant them a special status and amend the national constitution, a prerequisite that has not been met.
During the Thursday meeting, the four foreign policy chiefs are expected to take stock of the progress made in the Ukrainian reconciliation process and underscore the importance of political dialogue as the only way out of the conflict.
