ArmInfo. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov had a telephone conversation with French Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Jean-Yves Le Drian and Heiko Maas, Federal Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Federal Republic of Germany .
According to the press service of the Russian Foreign Ministry, the ministers held a thorough exchange of views on the prospects for resolving the intra-Ukrainian conflict in Donbass following a regular videoconference of political advisers to the leaders of the Normandy format countries held on May 26. of this year. It was emphasized that there is no alternative to the Minsk agreements and the need for all parties to fulfill their obligations. Lavrov emphasized the unacceptability of Kiev's attempts to revise the "Package of Measures", as well as the decisions of the "Normandy Summit" in December 2019 in Paris, drew attention to the lack of reaction on the part of Western colleagues to statements from Kiev that contradict the existing agreements. The minister especially emphasized the inadmissibility of discriminatory measures against the Russian-speaking population in Ukraine, the course of the Kiev authorities for the violent Ukrainization of national minorities, the suppression of political opponents and the media, indulgence of neo-Nazis.
The heads of the foreign ministries discussed the situation on the Azerbaijani-Armenian border and around Nagorno-Karabakh, as well as the implementation of the provisions of the statements of the leaders of Azerbaijan, Armenia and Russia dated November 9, 2020 and January 11 this year. The importance of strict adherence to the ceasefire regime and the need for a political and diplomatic solution to emerging differences were emphasized. The ministers confirmed the role of the OSCE Minsk Group in the negotiation process between Azerbaijan and Armenia. The Russian side noted that any involvement of international organizations is possible only with the consent of Baku and Yerevan.
Some aspects of the situation in the Balkans were also touched upon.
Sergey Lavrov, in particular, noted the urgent need for a closed Office of the High Representative in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the transfer of full power and responsibility for the fate of the country to the authorities of BiH in accordance with the principles of the Dayton Agreement. Attempts to appoint a new representative to this post in the absence of consensus in the Steering Committee, between the Bosnian parties themselves and bypassing the UN Security Council are incompatible with the interests of stabilizing BiH.
The ministers also discussed a number of other issues on the international agenda.