03.10 Lavrov Tells Kerry Conflict Sides in Ukraine Must Observe Minsk Agreements

MOSCOW, October 3 (RIA Novosti) – Russian Foreign Ministry Sergei Lavrov told US Secretary of State John Kerry in a phone conversation Friday that the Kiev government and east Ukraine independence supporters must strictly observe agreements reached last month in the Belarusian capital Minsk.

“The head of the Russian foreign ministry stressed that the conflict sides must strictly observe the existing agreements on ceasefire, pullback of heavy weaponry and OSCE monitoring,” the ministry said in a statement.

Lavrov also said that shelling of residential areas in eastern Ukraine’s Donetsk, which has already claimed the lives of civilians and a foreign aid worker, must stop immediately.

“Lavrov and Kerry agreed to continue intense contacts for detailed discussions on important issues on the international and bilateral agenda,” the statement reads.