French President Announces Normandy Four Meeting

26 June 2017 15:49

French President Emmanuel Macron announced this as a result of a meeting with Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko.

A meeting between the Normandy Format leaders – from Ukraine, France, Germany and Russia – to resolve the conflict in the Donbas region of Ukraine will take place at the end of June or beginning of July.

French President Emmanuel Macron announced this as a result of a meeting with Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko on June 26, 2017.

“First we must layout the background on paper and then have a meeting in the Normandy Format,” said the President of France.

"It's a big pleasure to be at this welcoming French land at the invitation of French President," president Poroshenko wrote on Twitter.

The Minsk II Agreement, signed in February 2015, was aimed at ending the conflict between Ukrainian government forces and Russian-backed separatists. It has failed to end artillery fighting as both sides continue to accuse the other of violating the ceasefire.

President Macron also added that he would like to receive a report from the OSCE on the real situation at the border of Ukraine and Russia.

Ukraine’s President Petro Poroshenko noted that the draft decisions of the Normandy Format could be called the “Macron Formula.”

“Our agreement is that we will put projects for possible solutions of the Normandy Format on paper, it could be called the ‘Macron Formula.’ But we will be able to present to society a plan for peace and the de-occupation of the east of Ukraine,” President Poroshenko said.

President Macron also emphasized the deep historical ties in Ukrainian-French relations, particularly with reference to Anna Yaroslavna (also known as Anne of Kyiv), the queen consort of Henry I of France.

“The connections between our countries are very old, we have a deep history. And today you’ve shown it by paying respect to Anne of Kyiv. You have shown how deep in history our relations go,” said President Macron to President Poroshenko.

Macron previously claimed that he wanted to hold a Normandy Format meeting before the G20 summit, which will take place on 7–8 July 2017 in Hamburg, Germany.

Earlier, the Kremlin also announced a phone conversation between the Normandy Four at the end of June.