"Lavrov and Steinmeier continued discussion of the current situation in Ukraine in a phone call on March 11," the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Wednesday.
"They noted that despite certain progress in the implementation of the Minsk agreements the situation in the south-east of the country remains tense," the statement said.
According to the statement, the ministers stressed the need to ensure the full withdrawal of heavy weaponry from the line of contact and the strict observance of the ceasefire regime by both sides of the conflict.
Lavrov and Steinmeier used their Wednesday link-up to exchange opinions of what further action Kiev and east Ukrainian forces need to take in order to fully deliver on their Minsk commitments.
The top diplomats also agreed to boost cooperation within the framework of the Contact Group of Ukrainian, Russian and eastern militia envoys and representatives of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, a security group tasked with observing the implementation of the Minsk accords.
Additionally, the Ukrainian parliament is expected to pass a resolution by Saturday that will designate a territory in eastern Ukraine to be granted special status. This last provision, spelled out in the footnotes of the Minsk deal, will help decentralize the country and devolve powers to the regions of Donetsk and Luhansk.
