President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko has held a phone conversation with President of France Francois Hollande and Federal Chancellor of Germany Angela Merkel.
The parties have discussed the situation in the Donbas and the ways of its peaceful settlement. The interlocutors have emphasized that the Trilateral Contact Group was an optimal format for negotiations on the implementation of the Minsk agreements signed by all the parties including Russia.
Also, the parties have expressed belief that the immediate bilateral ceasefire and the liberation of hostages should become the next steps in the peaceful settlement. Further actions should provide for the withdrawal of troops and heavy armament from the delimitation line laid down in the Minsk memorandum of September 19, 2014.
Francois Hollande and Angela Merkel have assured of the readiness to further coordinate efforts aimed at the continuation of dialogue at the highest level in the Normandy format.