Ukraine: Minsk cease-fire signatories to meet on Oct. 2

ANKARA

Russian President Vladimir Putin, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Francois Hollande will meet on Oct. 2 in Paris, France.

Putin had a telephone conversation with Poroshenko, Merkel and Hollande on Wednesday night, according to a written statement issued by the Kremlin Press Center.

"The leaders agreed to continue active work in the Normandy format, which includes talks at the foreign minister level on September 12 in Berlin, as well as a personal meeting between the heads of Russia, Germany, France and Ukraine on October 2 in Paris," the statement said. 

"Particular attention was given to implementing the political provisions of the Minsk Agreements, first and foremost carrying out a constitutional reform in Ukraine, including legislating special status for the Donbass regions, as well as organising local elections and adopting a law on amnesty," said the statement.

"In this regard, Vladimir Putin once again stressed the need to establish a full-fledged, direct dialogue between the Kiev authorities and representatives from southeast Ukraine," the statement  added.

Merkel, Hollande, Ukrainian President Poroshenko and Putin held their first talks on the Ukrainian crisis in Normandy, France in June 2014, on the 70th anniversary of the D-Day landings.

Since then, parties held various four-party meetings of various diplomatic levels, referred to as "Normandy format" talks.

The February Minsk cease-fire agreement includes the withdrawal of heavy weaponry from combat areas, as well as all foreign-armed groups. However, the agreement has failed to be fully implemented, with daily reports of breaches and clashes in the region.

More than 6,000 people have lost their lives and 1.4 million people were internally displaced in the conflict between Ukrainian forces and the pro-Russian separatists since April 2014, according to the UN.