The head the Ministry of foreign Affairs of Russia S. V. Lavrov on Thursday held telephone conversations with his counterpart, Federal Minister for Europe, integration and foreign Affairs of the Republic of Austria Sebastian Kurtz, informs the Department of information and press of the Russian Ministry of foreign Affairs.

As emphasized in the Ministry of foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, the conversation was initiated by the Austrian side.

"Topical issues of the settlement in Ukraine on the basis of the Minsk agreements of February 12, 2015, including the involvement of the OSCE in this process ", - stated in the message.

The headquarters of the OSCE is in the Austrian capital Vienna.

before the Ministry of foreign Affairs of Switzerland and the OSCE confirmed that Heidi Tagliavini wishes to terminate its range of capabilities in the post of envoy of the head of the OSCE contact group on Ukraine. Some observers began to connect the decision with the complexities in the Minsk process, one of the Central figures who she was. A source in the Russian delegation to the OSCE said Last news that she decided to resign for personal reasons. Currently a candidate for the post is known, but not officially named, was reported by the Deputy head of the Ministry of foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation Grigory Karasin.

After three days of talks in Minsk in different formats on February 12 by the contact group on the situation in Ukraine signed a document containing steps to permit the fall. It involves a ceasefire with fifteen February, the withdrawal of heavy weapons, the development of security zones and the exchange of prisoners. According to the document, Kiev is obliged to withdraw the economic blockade of Donbass, to carry out constitutional reform, involving decentralization, and to coordinate with the DNR and LC, the law on the special status of the region. It is planned to conduct in the Donbas local elections After consultations between Kiev and self-proclaimed republics. Leaders "channel four" in its Declaration on the results of the summit in Minsk approved signed by the contact group document.

sections: Politics