Russia, United States have specific ideas on implementation of Minsk deals - Lavrov

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MOSCOW. KAZINFORM - Russia and the United States have confirmed the support of the Minsk Agreements on Ukraine, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Tuesday.

"We have exchanged assessments regarding tasks to settle the crisis in Ukraine," he said.

"The Russian Federation and the United States, in development of agreements that were reached in principle between Presidents Putin and Obama, confirm their support for the Minsk Agreements, support for the Normandy format and will use their capabilities to achieve full implementation of the Minsk Agreements," Lavrov said.

"There are specific ideas on how to promote that in the most efficient way. We hope to remain in contact with our American colleagues," he said.

Ukrainian troops have been engaged in fighting with local militias during Kiev's punitive operation, underway since mid-April 2014, against the breakaway territories - the Donetsk and Lugansk people's republics constituting parts of the Donetsk and Lugansk regions of Ukraine.

Massive shelling of residential neighborhoods, including with the use of aviation, has killed thousands and led to a humanitarian disaster in the area.

Kiev has regularly violated the ceasefire regime imposed as part of the Package of Measures on implementation of the September 2014 Minsk Agreements.

The Package (Minsk-2) was signed on February 12, 2015 in the Belarusian capital Minsk by participants of the Contact Group on settlement in Donbass.

The Package, earlier agreed with the leaders of the Normandy Four (Russia, France, Germany and Ukraine) envisioned an overwhelming cessation of fire and withdrawal of heavy armaments to create a security area in the region at least 50 kilometers wide.

Source: TASS Photo: © EPA/YURI KOCHETKOV

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