Yermak, Merkel’s advisers discuss intensifying negotiations on Donbas, bilateral cooperation

“During a meeting with German Chancellor’s Foreign Policy Adviser Jan Hecker held within a working visit to Germany, Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Andriy Yermak said that Ukraine continues to insist on the prompt implementation of the agreements of the Normandy summit that took place in December in Paris to unblock the possibility of holding the next summit of the heads of state in Berlin,” the press service of the President of Ukraine reports.

As noted, the meeting with Jan Hecker was also attended by Deputy Head of the Office of the President Ihor Zhovkva, Adviser to the President of Ukraine Ruslan Demchenko, Vice Prime Minister - Minister for Reintegration of the Temporarily Occupied Territories Oleksiy Reznikov, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Dmytro Kuleba and Minister of Defense Andriy Taran.

According to Andriy Yermak, two rounds of mutual release of detainees according to the agreed formula "all identified for all identified" successfully conducted after the Paris Summit of the heads of state of the Normandy format are positive examples of how these agreements can be implemented.

“However, according to the Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, in order to unblock further mutual release, representatives of the International Committee of the Red Cross should get access to persons illegally kept in ORDLO, as well as Crimea and the Russian Federation,” the statement reads.

In addition, Andriy Yermak stressed the importance of ending the shelling as a basic condition for advancing the peace process.

The interlocutors discussed Ukraine's cooperation with the European Union.

The Ukrainian party counts on Germany's support for Ukraine's European integration aspirations during the forthcoming German presidency in the Council of the European Union starting from July 1, Andriy Yermak said.

Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine also held a meeting with German Chancellor’s Economic Adviser Lars-Hendrik Röller.

“Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Andriy Yermak and Economic Adviser to German Chancellor Lars-Hendrik Röller discussed the issues of bilateral economic cooperation between Ukraine and Germany at a meeting in Berlin,” the press service of the Head of State informs.

The interlocutors, in particular, touched upon the issues of financial support to Ukraine, as well as the prospects of investment cooperation. Andriy Yermak thanked the German party for assistance in allocating a new tranche of the IMF loan to Ukraine.

The meeting participants discussed the holding of the fourth Ukraine-Germany business forum scheduled for the first half of next year, and the possibility of participation of Federal Chancellor of Germany Angela Merkel in this forum.

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