Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Dmytro Kuleba, during a telephone conversation with Minister of Foreign Affairs of Germany Heiko Maas, informed him about the efforts of Ukraine for a diplomatic settlement of the conflict in Donbas, the press service of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine reports.

"Maas praised Ukraine's efforts in the Normandy Format and the Trilateral Contact Group: compliance, despite cases of violations, of the ceasefire regime and the opening of new checkpoints in Schastia and Zolote of Luhansk region. The parties discussed the prospect of contacts between foreign ministers in the Normandy Format," the message reads.

In addition, Maas positively assessed the Ukrainian initiative to establish the Crimean Platform and agreed on the importance of keeping the theme of the temporarily occupied Crimea among the priorities of the international agenda.

The ministers also discussed preparations for the Eastern Partnership summit next year. Kuleba noted the importance of further gradual integration of Ukraine into the Internal Market of the European Union.

The parties positively noted the high dynamics of relations between Ukraine and Germany: interaction between the leaders of the countries, contacts between foreign ministers, the visit of the head of the Ukrainian parliament to Germany, preparation for political consultations between the ministries of foreign affairs.

Kuleba and Maas also exchanged views on the situation in Belarus.