MOSCOW, May 23. /TASS/. The dates and venue of the second round of talks with the Ukrainian side have not been determined yet, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stated at a high-level conference devoted to Russia’s historical southern lands.
“No, we have not yet determined the dates. Many people are making predictions on when and where [the meeting] will take place. We do not have any ideas for now,” the minister said in response to a related question.
Earlier, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated that Russia and Ukraine had not yet scheduled the next meeting and that an agreement on this matter was still pending. His comments came in response to remarks by Finnish President Alexander Stubb, who suggested that technical talks between Moscow and Kiev at the Vatican next week were probable.
On May 16, Russia and Ukraine held talks in the Turkish city of Istanbul. Moscow and Kiev agreed to exchange 1,000 prisoners each, prepare their detailed vision of a potential ceasefire and continue the negotiation process. Russian Presidential Aide Vladimir Medinsky, who led Moscow’s delegation, stated that Russia was satisfied with the outcome of the meeting.
