In a joint statement, the leaders of Germany, France, Russia and Ukraine have once again reaffirmed their commitment to the full implementation of the Minsk agreements. The ceasefire in eastern Ukraine over Easter must be respected.
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On Thursday (29 March) Angela Merkel, Emmanuel Macron, Vladimir Putin and Petro Poroshenko reaffirmed their commitment to the complete implementation of the Minsk agreements. This covers security issues, as well as political, humanitarian and economic matters. The heads of state and government of the Normandy Four (also known as the N4) will examine possible steps to accelerate the implementation of the agreements over the coming months.
The Normandy format takes its name from the first meeting of this sort between Chancellor Angela Merkel and Presidents François Hollande, Vladimir Putin and Petro Poroshenko on 6 June 2014 in Normandy. Since then negotiations between these four parties have been taking place at different levels. The aim is to achieve the practical implementation of the 13-point package of measures agreed on 11 and 12 February 2015 in Minsk, covering primarily a ceasefire, withdrawal of troops and political reforms. At the top-level meeting held on 19 October 2016 in Berlin, a roadmap was adopted for the implementation of these Minsk agreements, with a view to restoring the Ukrainian government’s control over the separatist-controlled areas in the east of the country. Implementation has been sluggish and has at times come to a complete standstill.
The N4 leaders welcome the fact that the Trilateral Contact Group agreed on 23 March to observe an Easter truce as of 30 March. They attach great importance to strict observation of the ceasefire, and to effective monitoring and verification by the OSCE’s Special Monitoring Mission (SMM).
The Trilateral Contact Group is the OSCE’s central mediation instrument in the Ukraine conflict. It was established in June 2014. In this group, representatives of Ukraine, Russia and the OSCE consult and negotiate concrete steps to implement the Minsk agreements.
On 27 December 2017 more than 300 prisoners taken by the two sides to the conflict were exchanged. In view of this successfully mediated exchange, the four leaders call for additional efforts to ensure that all remaining prisoners are exchanged. People are still unlawfully detained, who should be given their freedom in line with the principles of "all detainees for all detainees".
In the unanimous opinion of the international community, Crimea, which was unlawfully annexed by Russia on 18 March, is a integral part of the territory of Ukraine. This also applies to the administration of justice in Crimea which is part of the sovereign affairs of Ukraine.