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The internal crisis in Ukraine was discussed in view of the disastrous policy of the Poroshenko administration and the change of government in Kiev. There was unanimity regarding the lack of alternatives to the 2015 Minsk Package of Measures as the foundation of a peaceful settlement.

The President of Russia again emphasised the need to prioritise the entry in force of the law on the special status of certain areas of the Donetsk and Lugansk regions and to make it permanent, granting amnesty, withdrawing forces and equipment to the earlier agreed upon positions along the line of contact, and taking steps toward direct dialogue between Kiev and the Donetsk and Lugansk regions. Vladimir Putin drew attention to the discriminatory law adopted by the Verkhovna Rada making Ukrainian the state language expressing bafflement over the refusal of a number of countries to discuss in the UN Security Council this legislation that violates the Constitution of Ukraine, the Minsk agreements and Kiev’s international commitments on protecting ethnic and linguistic minorities.

The leaders held a detailed exchange of views on Syrian issues, including the numerous violations of the ceasefire in Idlib by radical armed groups. The President of Russia informed his colleagues about the measures being taken in cooperation with Turkey to stabilise the situation in the north-west of Syria, protect civilians and neutralise the terrorist threat.

Special attention was paid to the prospects of establishing and launching the Constitutional Committee, including in view of the agreements reached at the quadrilateral (Russia-Turkey-Germany-France) summit in Istanbul in October 2018. The leaders agreed to continue coordinating efforts to achieve a political settlement of the Syrian crisis based on UN Security Council Resolution 2254 in accordance with the principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity for Syria.

Discussing developments related to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action on the Iranian nuclear programme, the leaders noted the importance of preserving this agreement that is a key factor in maintaining international stability and security. They confirmed the commitment of Russia, France and Germany to continuing mutually beneficial trade and economic cooperation with Iran.

The leaders of the three countries spoke in favour of resolving the situation in the Council of Europe (CoE) that emerged after the Russian delegation was deprived of key rights in the Parliamentary Assembly (PACE). In view of the results of the session of the CoE Committee of Ministers in Helsinki on May 17 and the fact that France has assumed chairmanship of this committee, the principled position in favour of the full restoration of the rights of the Russian delegation in PACE was affirmed.

It was agreed to continue contacts at various levels.