Russia refuses to meet foreign ministers in the “Normandy format”. This was announced on Tuesday, November 9, by the press secretary of the French Foreign Ministry. At the same time, she denied the Russian version that neither France nor Germany responded to Russia’s proposals on the draft meeting. “France and Germany reacted to Russia’s proposals. They proposed holding a ministerial meeting in the Normandy format, which was rejected by the Russian Foreign Minister,” the press secretary stressed.
Berlin confirmed the information of the French side, reports Reuters. German diplomatic sources indicate that Russia is refusing to participate in the meeting. At the same time, Moscow takes an “obstructionist position” and puts forward unacceptable preconditions, trying to change its own role as a participant in the conflict to the position of a “neutral mediator.” This is an old Russian tactic, which, however, is rejected by Ukraine, Germany and France, the agency emphasizes.
Russian version of the breakdown of the meeting
A previously informed source told Interfax that the Russian proposals were not taken into account in the draft document prepared by France and Germany for the meeting of the Foreign Ministers of the Normandy Four. “On October 28, we sent them our draft final document, they sent us their draft on the 5th, in which our proposals were not taken into account at all,” the agency’s interlocutor said. According to him, on November 6, Moscow sent a letter to Berlin and Paris with comments and a request to take another look at the Russian project, but no reply has yet been received to this letter.
In this regard, the source noted, there is no talk of a meeting in the near future. On November 11, as previously reported, the schedule does not allow the Russian Foreign Minister to take part in it. On November 12, an international conference on Libya will be held in Paris, in which the head of the Russian Foreign Ministry is expected to take part, but a meeting in the “Normandy format” on its sidelines is also not planned.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel has repeatedly called for a meeting in the “Normandy format” not only at the level of foreign ministers, but also at the level of heads of state and government as soon as possible – if possible during her term as head of the German government. This meeting is due to the continuing tension in the east of Ukraine, reminds Reuters.
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