You're reading: Poroshenko says Ukraine, Russia to hold border agencies’ consultations to establish control of border

MINSK - Ukraine and Russia will launch consultations between border agencies and general staffs of both countries in the context of the settlement of the situation in east Ukraine, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko said.

“We have agreed that consultations between the border forces will begin immediately with the aim to ensure the implementation of this condition [the establishment of control over the border of Ukraine and Russia],” Poroshenko told reporters at the end of his visit to Minsk.

The president also said that the Ukrainian and Russian chiefs of staff would hold consultations to ensure preconditions for the restoration of peace in Donbas.

Poroshenko claims the Ukrainian side insists on the immediate release of all the hostages and points to the need to close the borders to prevent illegal shipments of weapons and military hardware from Russia. It was also agreed at the meeting in Minsk that the contact group with the participation of the OSCE would boost its work to settle the situation in the east of Ukraine.

“A road map will be developed on the basis of the peace plan, maybe consultations will be held through a tripartite contact group in order to declare a ceasefire, which will be monitored by representatives of the OSCE monitoring mission,” Poroshenko said, adding that the ceasefire should be observed by both sides.