Moscow - The meeting, which took place in Minsk on Sept. 1 between representatives of separatists and official Kyiv is important, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told Interfax.
“This was the first meeting, during which issues of political settlement were discussed with the participation of Kyiv and militia. Such discussions did not occur up until yesterday. This is important in itself,” Lavrov said.
On Sept. 1 the parties “exchanged position documents with certain proposals and agreed to continue contacts this week,” the minister said.
“I hope that this agreement can be taken as an understanding that it is necessary to work, not by imposing some one point of view on the opposing party, but by searching for compromises,” Lavrov said.
Parties in the Ukrainian conflict are urged to rest on “the same common base accorded internationally as in the Geneva statement of April 17, stipulating the necessity of comprehensive and equal participation of all regions and all political forces in determining the ways of further development of Ukraine,” Lavrov said.
