KIEV (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 18th January, 2019) Ukrainian Foreign Minister Pavlo Klimkin intends to discuss with his German counterpart, Heiko Maas, the deepening of the country's cooperation with Berlin and Paris within the Normandy format during the Friday talks in Kiev, the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry said.
On Friday, Maas is also expected to pay a visit to Moscow to discuss the situation in Ukraine, Syria, Yemen as well as energy and security issues with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.
"The main topic will be the deepening of cooperation between Ukraine and Germany to counter Russian aggression, in particular, together with France, within the Normandy format," the Ukrainian ministry said.
Klimkin and Maas will also discuss bilateral cooperation and issues of the European energy security, it added.
The conflict in Donbas started in 2014, when the Ukrainian authorities launched a military operation against the self-proclaimed republics in the region that refused to recognize the new government in Kiev, which came to power after what these republics considered to be a coup.
In 2015, a ceasefire deal was signed between conflicting sides in Minsk following talks brokered by the leaders of the so-called Normandy group � Russia, France, Germany and Ukraine. Despite this agreement, sporadic fighting has continued in Donbas. To date, the situation remains tense, with both sides accusing each other of violating the ceasefire.
