France, Germany Want To Hold Normandy Four Meeting Soon - Merkel

BERLIN (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 25th August, 2019) France and Germany want to hold the Normandy Four format of talks soon, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said on the sidelines of the G7 summit on Sunday.

"We, France and Germany, have stressed that we want a summit with Russian and Ukrainian presidents to be held soon, after a preparatory meeting of the advisers and foreign ministers takes place," Merkel said, adding that the sides were planning to convene the next meeting in the French capital of Paris.

The Normandy Four talks were launched on the sidelines of the D-Day landing anniversary in France in June 2014, shortly after a war broke out in eastern Ukraine. The conflict has claimed some 13,000 lives despite several ceasefire deals between the Ukrainian government and militants.

Earlier in August, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called for an urgent Normandy Four meeting in the light of escalating tensions in Donbas.