The Normandy and other formats fostering the peace process in Ukraine are bound to assist in the launch of a direct dialogue between Kyiv and representatives of the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Luhansk people's republics, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said.

"Direct contacts between Kyiv and representatives of the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Luhansk people's republics have paramount importance and any other formats involving the so-called external actors, among them the Normandy [format] or whatever else there may be, the same as the entire activity of the OSCE, should aim at assisting in this direct and lasting dialogue in every issue that needs to be resolved," Lavrov said at an annual press conference in Moscow.