The Kremlin declared that "Norman Quartet" agreed to extend the Minsk agreements for 2016

Moscow claimed that the leaders of the "Norman Quartet" - Ukraine, Germany, France and Russia - agreed to extend the Minsk agreements on Donbass for 2016. It is reported by the press service of the Russian President Vladimir Putin.

It is noted that this agreement was reached during the telephone conversation held between the leaders of the countries. "The leaders discussed in detail the remaining tense and unstable situation in the south-east of Ukraine in the context of the implementation of the Minsk agreements agreed on February 12th, 2015. It was agreed to extend them for 2016. The importance of the further work of the Contact Group for the full and comprehensive implementation of the Minsk Package of Measures was stressed,"- said the statement.

The ceasefire and elections in Donbass are reported to have been discussed during the conversion.

"The need for strict compliance with the ceasefire regime on the border line in Donbass was emphasized. This would create the preconditions for the implementation of tasks related to the further promotion of the political resolution. It has been agreed, in particular, to activate the discussions in the Contact group focused on speedy development and adoption of the law on local elections in some regions of Donetsk and Luhansk regions,"- says the report.

The Ministers of Foreign Affairs of Russia, Germany, France and Ukraine were instructed to hold a thorough inventory of the implementation of the Minsk agreements at the beginning of 2016. Personal contacts between the leaders of four countries will be continued.

As reported by OstroV, the President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko said about the need for full admission of the OSCE to the occupied part of Donbass and the abolition of fake "elections" in the area in the telephone conversation.