According to the statement, German Chancellor Angela Merkel has praised in a phone call with President Nursultan Nazarbayev Kazakhstan's efforts aimed at finding a peaceful solution for the deadly crisis in eastern Ukraine.
"Merkel asked the president to continue this important work and mentioned the possibility of holding the next meeting of the 'Normandy Four' in Astana," the statement said.
The sides agreed that the strict implementation of the new deal would lead to broader political agreements that would ultimately result in Ukrainian reconciliation.
The four leaders were expected to convene in the Kazakh capital back in mid-January, but the meeting was called into question after German Chancellor Merkel said she needed assurances from the Kremlin that the warring parties in eastern Ukraine could make "substantive progress" on the September ceasefire deal.
The new 13-point roadmap outlines steps that are needed to be taken to bring peace to eastern Ukraine. They include the establishment of a buffer zone between the warring parties; the withdrawal of heavy artillery; a pardon for those involved in the armed conflict; safe access to humanitarian aid; a special status for self-proclaimed eastern republics and local elections there under Ukrainian laws; and a constitutional reform to perpetuate the decentralization of Ukraine.
