China applauds Normandy quartet meeting on Ukraine
Xinhua, October 8, 2015 Adjust font size:
China on Thursday lauded the Normandy quartet meeting on Ukraine held in Paris, and called on all parties concerned to earnestly implement the Minsk agreement.
"China supports and speaks positively of the constructive efforts made by leaders of the four countries to find a political solution to the Ukraine crisis, as well as the consensus they reached," said Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying at a daily press briefing.
Hua made the remarks while commenting on the meeting, held between Russia, Germany, France and Ukraine on Oct. 2. It was the second such meeting after one in Minsk, Belarus, on February during which a ceasefire deal was reached.
The deal, originally set to end by Dec. 31, 2015, called for both sides to withdraw their heavy weaponry 25 to 70 km from the front line to create a buffer zone and to exchange prisoners of war.
After the Paris meeting, the Minsk peace process will be extended to next year so that security conditions needed to hold elections can be met, and local election will be postponed.
"The meeting and the consensus will promote all parties to earnestly implement the Minsk agreement and maintain momentum," Hua said.
She also called on all sides to cooperate with each other when implementing the agreement. Endi