MOSCOW, August 30 (RIA Novosti) - Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and his French counterpart Laurent Fabius in a telephone talk on Saturday underlined the important role of the upcoming meetings of the contact group on Ukraine, the Russian Foreign Ministry said.
“During the conversation, the sides underlined the importance of the soonest possible cessation of fire and beginning of political settlement [in Ukraine]. The important role of the upcoming meetings of the contact group has also been noted,” the ministerial statement said.
Earlier in the day, Russian President Vladimir Putin, in a telephone conversation with Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, also stressed importance of bringing representatives of Kiev authorities, Ukraine southeastern regions, the OSCE and Russia to Minsk for the contact group consultations.
The contact group on Ukraine will meet in the Belarusian capital of Minsk on September 1, a source at the Belarusian Foreign Ministry told RIA Novosti.
