German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Francoise Hollande intend to continue working in the Normandy Four format to settle the crisis in Ukraine until the Minsk agreements are implemented, they said in a joint statement on Thursday.

They reaffirmed their commitment to continue working together with Ukraine and Russia in the Normandy format until the full implementation of the Minsk agreements, the statement says.

Merkel and Hollande also spoke for preserving the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine.

In addition, the two leaders welcomed the ceasefire which was announced in Ukraine on September 1, but at the same time expressed concern about the overall security situation in the area, in particular along the contact line in the conflict zone.