Ministerial Talks on Ukraine in Geneva Not Planned on March 2 – Diplomat

Despite the fact that Normandy format meetings are highly important, they should not substitute the work of the Contact Group on Ukraine, Russian deputy foreign minister said.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — The ministerial level talks in the so-called Normandy and Geneva formats on Ukrainian crisis settlement have not been planned on the sidelines of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva on March 2, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said Friday.

"As far as I know, no," Ryabkov said, answering a question on whether the possibility of such negotiations is being considered.

Despite the fact that Normandy format meetings are highly important, they should not substitute the work of the Contact Group on Ukraine, he added.

The latest ministerial talks on the Ukrainian reconciliation in the Normandy format took place in Paris on February 24, with the participation of foreign ministers of Russia, Ukraine, Germany and France.

Earlier, on February 12, the leaders of the Normandy Quartet countries held a meeting in Minsk, Belarus, in an effort to put an end to the hostilities in southeastern Ukraine.

The meeting resulted in a peace deal that was signed by the Contact Group members that include representatives of Kiev forces, Donetsk and Luhansk, as well as Russia and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE).

The truce in Ukraine came into force on February 15 and, according to the OSCE monitors, is generally holding.