Moscow Will Seek Full Implementation Of Minsk Deal On Ukraine Conflict Settlement - Sergey Lavrov

Russia will seek full implementation of the Minsk agreement on Ukrainian crisis settlement, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Friday

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 08th February, 2019) Russia will seek full implementation of the Minsk agreement on Ukrainian crisis settlement, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Friday.

"We will seek full and consistent implementation of the resolution of the UN Security Council that unilaterally approved the Minsk measures on Ukrainian settlement," Lavrov said at a meeting ahead of the Day of the diplomatic worker, which will be celebrated in Russia on Sunday.

He added that Moscow would also call on Kiev to stick to its international commitments of ensuring freedom of language, education and religion.

An armed conflict broke out in eastern Ukraine in 2014, after the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Luhansk people's republics (DPR and LPR) proclaimed their independence from Ukraine, refusing to recognize the new government, which they believe had seized power in a coup.

In September 2014, Russia, the DPR and the LPR signed the Minsk Protocol, set to halt the war. Since the protocol collapsed, the leaders of Ukraine, Russia, France and Germany signed, in February 2015, the Minsk-2 agreement, set to revive the protocol. Promptly after that, the UN Security Council adopted Resolution 2202 calling on warring parties to respect the provisions of the agreement.

However, both Kiev and the breakaway republics regularly accuse each other of ceasefire violations.