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Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday held a telephone conversation with President of France Emmanuel Macron, the Kremlin said.

The two presidents discussed in detail the situation around Nagorno-Karabakh. The President of Russia emphasised that the situation in the region was stabilising and that, in general, the agreements fixed in the November 9 statement of the presidents of Russia and Azerbaijan and the prime minister of Armenia are being consistently fulfilled. Successful operation of the Russian peacekeepers, ensuring the ceasefire and the security of civilians at the requests of Baku and Yerevan, was noted.

It was reaffirmed that both parties are ready for further coordination on different aspects of the Nagorno-Karabakh settlement, in particular, within the framework of the OSCE Minsk Group. The most acute problems include, among others, humanitarian problems such as the return of refugees, the restoration of the infrastructure, and the preservation of religious and cultural landmarks, in particular, with the assistance from the International Humanitarian Response Centre.

Exchanging views on Ukraine’s internal conflict, the parties expressed interest in stepping up efforts to implement the key provisions of the 2015 Minsk agreements and the decisions adopted at the Normandy summit held in Paris on December 9, 2019. In this context, the Russian President again emphasised that Ukraine must fulfil its commitments on the political aspects of the settlement, including the legalisation of the special status of Donbass and the inclusion of the Steinmeier formula in national legislation. It was agreed to continue work within the Normandy format.

The presidents agreed that, as regards the situation around the Iranian nuclear programme, it is necessary to make a concerted effort to preserve the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action.

The two leaders discussed the situation in Syria and Libya, emphasising with regard to Libya the importance of observing the ceasefire and promoting an effective political process with the participation of all key Libyan parties.

A number of urgent issues of bilateral cooperation with an emphasis on countering the coronavirus pandemic were also discussed. The parties reaffirmed their determination to develop contact between relevant organisations of the two countries on producing vaccines and conducting large-scale vaccination.

Vladimir Putin congratulated Emmanuel Macron on his recent birthday and wished him a complete and speedy recovery.