MINSK, August 2 (RIA Novosti) – Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko and his Kazakh counterpart Nursultan Nazarbayev discussed in a phone conversation Saturday the situation in Ukraine and measures to resolve the crisis, the Belarusian leader’s press service said in a statement.
“The heads of states discussed in detail topical issues of bilateral relations and international affairs. During the conversation they focused on the situation in Ukraine and steps to provide assistance in normalizing the situation in the country,” the statement said.
The discussion was held at the initiative of the Kazakh side.
The Trilateral Contact Group, which comprises envoys from Kiev, Russia and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, met on Thursday in the Belarusian capital, Minsk, with representatives of pro-independence militia from eastern regions of Ukraine to discuss steps toward the truce in the Ukrainian standoff.
The group called for immediate release of hostages as a first step to secure a mutually agreed and sustainable ceasefire in violence-hit eastern Ukraine.
On Tuesday, Lukashenko agreed to host talks on the Ukraine crisis in Minsk following a request from his Ukrainian counterpart, Petro Poroshenko.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Moscow welcomes Belarus' move but added that one meeting would not be enough to resolve the problems.
