German Federal Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron have welcomed the exchange of detained persons on both sides of the conflict in the east of Ukraine on Wednesday and called to continue the process until all the prisoners are released.

"Chancellor Merkel and President Macron called on the parties to the conflict to facilitate the exchange of remaining prisoners, to give full access to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and to support the ICRC search for missing persons," reads the statement by Merkel and Macron posted on the website of the Office of the Federal Chancellor of Germany on Wednesday evening.