Direct contacts between Kiev and self-proclaimed authorities of Donetsk and Lugansk people's republics are needed to achieve progress in the peaceful settlement of the situation in the Donbass, said the head of the Ministry of foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation S. Lavrov In..

"As for direct talks between Kiev, Lugansk and Donetsk is the essence of all the agreements that were signed in Minsk. Without this there is no progress " - Lavrov said at a press conference on results of negotiations with his Iranian counterpart Mohammad Javad Zarif.

All the work on implementation of complex of measures on the Minsk agreements can only be addressed in a contact group and its subgroups, where such Direct contact must be made, said the Russian Minister.

"The Ukrainian side non-stop trying either to avoid such contacts, or to impose the notion that to solve All problems Without the participation of Donetsk and Lugansk, but only to put them before the fact. All this is a distressing reflection, " - said Lavrov.

The military operation against dissatisfied with the coup d'etat of residents of Donbas lasts more than a year. At the talks on February 12 were achieved consensus on stopping the fire, the withdrawal of heavy weapons, introduction to the Constitution of Ukraine changes on decentralization of power and the consolidation of the special status " of certain districts of Donetsk and Lugansk regions ".

sections: Politics