There is chance to restore peace in Ukraine - Russian foreign minister
MOSCOW. Dec 12 (Interfax) - Moscow wants the trilateral Contact Group for Ukraine to resume its work because there is now a real chance to bring peace back to Ukraine, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has said.
"A chance has emerged to restore peace in Ukraine. It was difficult, but the parties have still managed to put a truce in place," Lavrov said at a meeting with participants in a program run by the A. M. Gorchakov Foundation for Public Diplomacy Support on Friday.
"We need to find a way to resume the work of the Contact Group involving representatives of the Ukrainian authorities, representatives of the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Luhansk People's Republics, as well as representatives of Russia and the OSCE (Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe)," he said.
A schedule for Minsk consultations is currently being discussed, and Russia is vigorously working to help "achieve such an agreement as soon as possible," Lavrov said.
"We also have a common framework for moving forward on other issues, including the economic recovery of Donbas and the development of political dialogue, which should eventually lead to constitutional reform in Ukraine involving all regions and political forces," the Russian minister said.