JEAN MARC AYRAULT SPEAKS ON THE PHONE WITH HIS RUSSIAN COUNTERPART SERGEI LAVROV

USPA NEWS - Jean-Marc Ayrault, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Development, met this August 11, 2016, on the phone with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov. The two ministers exchanged views on the situation in Ukraine, as well as Syria.

Jean-Marc Ayrault, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Development, met this August 11, 2016, on the phone with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov. The two ministers exchanged views on the situation in Ukraine, as well as Syria.   Jean-Marc Ayrault stressed the importance for Ukraine and Russia to resolve, through dialogue, recent tensions over the situation in Crimea avoiding escalation. He reaffirmed that France, alongside Germany, will continue its efforts to implement the Minsk package of measures in the Normandy format. Regarding the situation in Syria, he reiterated the need for a cessation, immediate, hostilities, which alone will make possible the resumption without delay of political negotiations. Regarding the city of Aleppo, he stressed the need to end the bombing against civilians, especially those targeting hospitals and the urgency to allow the passage of humanitarian aid. The two ministers finally spoke the last negotiations on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. French Diplomacy