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Belarusian FM cautiously optimistic about settlement of Ukraine crisis

Xinhua, February 17, 2015 Adjust font size:

Belarus is cautiously optimistic about the further development of the Ukraine crisis in the wake of last week's Minsk accords, Foreign Minister Vladimir Makei said Tuesday.

"Cautious optimism is how the prospects for the implementation of the Minsk accords are assessed," he said, adding that he agreed with German Chancellor Angela Merkel on the matter.

Minsk is ready to continue to provide a platform for talks in any format aimed at settling the conflict in Ukraine, said the minister.

The leaders of Ukraine, Russia, Germany and France on Thursday capped 14-hour marathon talks in Minsk with a peace deal designed to settle the Ukraine crisis.

The agreement envisaged a ceasefire between Ukrainian forces and independence-seeking insurgents starting on Sunday, followed by the withdrawal of heavy weapons and constitutional reform to give eastern Ukraine more autonomy.

A previous ceasefire reached in September last year fell apart as Ukrainian government forces and pro-independence insurgents both tried to gain more ground. Endi