In Belarus, the Ukrainian president assured his partners that the Free Trade Area Agreement would not harm anyone.
In Belarus, the Ukrainian president assured his partners that the Free Trade Area Agreement would not harm anyone.
Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko arrived in the Belarusian capital for a high-level meeting. Distinguished guests began arriving for the talks at the Independence Palace in Minsk around 1:00 PM. During this hour, Petro Poroshenko has already held several meetings; a meeting between Poroshenko and Vladimir Putin is also planned.
At 18 p.m., it became known that the negotiations were dragging on—journalists were informed that the final press conference would be postponed for at least 30 minutes.
The presidents shook hands
At 3:00 PM, the four presidents and EU representatives sat down at the negotiating table. Speaking will be Alexander Lukashenko, Petro Poroshenko, Vladimir Putin, Nursultan Nazarbayev, Catherine Ashton, and European Commissioners Günther Oettinger and Karel de Gucht.
Before this, Putin and Poroshenko shook hands. A common greeting for politicians, in general. But in the context of the situation in eastern Ukraine, it takes on a different meaning.
Around 4:00 PM, details of the meeting began to emerge. According to Petro Poroshenko, the main goal of the meeting was to find a model for resolving the conflict in Donbas. The Russian president, for his part, expressed his readiness for dialogue and exchange of opinions:
"We are ready to exchange views on the acute crisis situation in Ukraine, which we are confident cannot be resolved through further escalation of force without taking into account the vital interests of the country's southeastern regions and without peaceful dialogue with their representatives," Vladimir Putin stated.
Ashton promised to ratify the Agreement in September
Petro Poroshenko's first meeting was with European Union High Representative Catherine Ashton. The meeting focused on Ukraine's progress toward Europe. Poroshenko promised that Ukraine would ratify the Association Agreement with the EU in September. The text of the Agreement would remain unchanged, as signed by the president in Brussels. He assured his interlocutors that the implementation of the Agreement's provisions would not harm any of Ukraine's partners and allies.
It's clear that the current parliament will vote on this. According to the president, calling early elections will not hinder ratification.
"The agreement will have a positive impact on relations with all our neighbors, primarily in the economic sphere. We are interested in our international partners accepting our decision," Petro Poroshenko said at the meeting.
There is a separate room for journalists
Following this, he held separate talks with the meeting's host, Alexander Lukashenko. At the beginning of the meeting, the Belarusian president said that the talks were being held at Ukraine's initiative. Unofficially, they are being referred to as the "Minsk meeting on Ukraine."
As journalist Olga Snitsarchuk reports from Minsk, all press representatives are located in a separate building, not far from the main meeting site.
The press center where journalists are located. Photo: Olga Snitsarchuk's Facebook page.
They offer to watch the events on screens. But the food is world-class, with plenty of food and alcohol on the tables from early morning. And many didn't hesitate to take advantage of it, she writes.
The protocol events will begin at approximately 2:00 PM. Russian President Vladimir Putin is expected to arrive at the same time. Also attending will be Kazakhstan's President Nursultan Nazarbayev, EU Energy Commissioner Günther Oettinger, and EU Trade Commissioner Karel De Gucht.
In anticipation of the arrival of high-ranking officials, traffic in central Minsk and along the ring road will be temporarily restricted, Gazeta.Ru reports in Belarus.
"Starting at 10:30 a.m., all traffic will be temporarily restricted as convoys of special-purpose vehicles proceed," the Minsk State Traffic Inspectorate reported.
After the march of Vladimir Putin, Nursultan Nazarbayev, Petro Poroshenko, and the leaders of the European Union, the movement will resume.
President Petro Poroshenko and German Chancellor Angela Merkel discussed the situation in Ukraine in a telephone conversation, according to a statement from the President's press service.
Poroshenko informed Merkel about the worsening situation in Donbas.
The interlocutors separately discussed the President's decision to terminate the powers of the Verkhovna Rada early.
The parties agreed that this is a step towards meeting the expectations of Ukrainian civil society, as well as a path to strengthening Ukraine's democratic institutions.
Poroshenko and Merkel also exchanged views on ways to peacefully resolve the situation in Donbas ahead of the meeting in Minsk, Belarus, in the Ukraine-EU-Eurasian Three format, and coordinated further actions to extend international dialogue.
Recall that Merkel visited Ukraine on August 23.
Anastasia RYABOKON, Tatiana NECHET, TVNZ
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