Elysée Press Adviser Ripert-Landler to Eurofora on Ukraine Summit France-Germany-Ukraine-Russia

*Strasbourg/Angelo Marcopolo/- French Presidential Palace's Press Counselor, Claudine Ripert-Landler, speaking to "EuroFora" on the forthcoming Quadrilateral Summit France-Germany-Russia-Ukraine on the Minsk Peace process, scheduled for Friday, October 2, in Paris, stressed that the 4 Heads of State/Government would, in principle, make a thorough Overview of all main outstanding elements which were planned to be implemented "until the End of this Year", (i.e. December 2015).

 - In fact, "it's about the Full Implementation of the Minsk Agreements, on all points on which we had convened, in order to see, at this Stage, what is needed for Reaching the Targets which were  set for the End of this Year" (2015), President Hollande's Counselor underlined from the outset, in Reply to an "Eurofora"s Question on what this exceptional Summit hopes to achieve.

- Therefore, this includes "not only the Time-table, but also all the Elements which are Integral parts of the Minsks Agreements, f.ex., the Cease-Fire, the Withdrawal of Heavy Weapons, the Local/Regional Elections, etc"., she reminded, in particular.
According to the Minsk Agreements, among other outstanding Points are also a Dialogue between all sides involved on the Conditions, into which such Local/Regional Elections would be held in the Autonomist Areas of Donetsk/Luhansk, oén a Provisional Legal Status, as well as on their Final Status as DeCentralized parts of Ukraine, on the Economic Development and the Restoration of the Conflct-Stricken area, finaly on the Control of Ukraine's External Borders, etc, (Comp. : http://www.eurofora.net/newsflashes/news/fulltextsofallukraineagreements.html).

+ On a further Question by "EuroFora", whether a Main issue Today was to Keep that Time-Deadline, intially set up for the Completion of the overall Structure of the Minsk Agreements, the French Presidency's Press Councelor prefered to Focus rather on the Substance of the Deal :

 - What counts most of all is to make an Overview of all the various Key points in the Minsk Agreements, in order to Ensure that the Peace process will Advance Forward and make Good Progress towards a Political Solution, she replied in substance.

Already, since September 1st, the 4 Leaders had expressed their Satisfaction for a Better Respect of the Cease-Fire by Both Parts.. On the contrary, it seemed that at least Some Parts concerning the Completion of the Withdrawal of Heavy Weapons would still remain to be settled in certain Hotspots.

Recently, the Autonomists of Donetsk/Luhansk's Regions had reportedly Proposed, as a Comromise, that their initial Intention to Hold Local/Regional Elections almost at the Same Time that is Scheduled also for all the rest of Ukraine, i.e. in October 2015, might be "Postponed" for later-on, f.ex. for February 2016, etc., in among others, in order to alleviate the current Refusal from the Kiev Government to Admit that such Elections might be Held Now in the Present Conditions, so that, at least the rest of the overall Peace Process could Advance Forward.  The Elysée Palace's Counselor did Not seem to Exclude a priori an eventual deal on that, but Abstained from any Explicit Comment on it, at least as things stand Today.

    - Friday's Summit is scheduled for early "Afternoon" until late Evening, "Starting by Bilateral Meetings, followed by a Plenary Gathering", and might give way to a Press Conference of the 4 Leaders, or not, depending on last minute possible Political Developments.

Obviously, Today's situation in South-Eastern Ukraine, despite several partial Setbacks or Delays, looks, comparatively, much Better than what it had been before the February 2015 Minsk Summit's Strategic Agreements, whose completion had taken a lot of Time OverNight, almost until Early Next Morning...

The above-mentioned Encounter with "Eurofora" took place by Phone, on the sidelines of CoE Parliamentary Assembly's Plenary Session in Strasbourg. (The published PHOTO pictures Elysée Press/Communicatiobn Strategy Counselor, Ripert-Landler, together with President Hollande, at the latest full official European Council of June 2015, in Brussels).

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A previous Quadrilateral Summit, also at Paris' Elysée Palace, bringing the Heads of State/Government of France, Germany and Russia, Together with a 4rth European Country, had been initialy organized by former long-time French President, Jacques Chirac, avec, precisely, Chancelor Angie Merkel and President Vladimir Poutin, as well as former Spanish Prime Minister Zapatero, back on 2004, resulting in a Joint Press Conference that "EuroFora"s co-Founder had attended on the spot, had focused, then, at  a Differend Context, more on how to Develop the Economy and High-Tech accross the the Greater European area.

Both Chirac and Sarkozy, as well as Hollande had organized more Trilateral France-Germany-Russia Summits, at various but Rare occasions, (mainly Chirac, closer to De Gaule's idea of a "Greater Europe", f.ex. as early as since 1997 in Strasbourg, then with Hemut Kohl and Yeltsin, at the sidelines of CoE's PanEuropean Summit, then, chaired by France, but also on 2006, a  the Compiegne Castle, near Paris, in a spectacular and Historic landscape OverView designed by Napoleon III, which may be considered as Experienced Chirac's symbolic "Adieu" and Conclusion of his exceptionaly Long Political career : Comp. f.ex. "EuroFora" Co-Founder's Articles from Compiegne Castle, published then at "TCWeekly"+).

As far as Ukraine is concerned, Hollande had initiated the so-called "Normandie Format", with Quadrilateral Meetings between Heads of State/Government of France-Germany-Russia-Ukraine, at the Initiative fo Chancelor Merkel at Compiegne, following the Election of President Pedro Poroshenko, immediately after his First Official Visits at the CoE, (Comp. f.ex. "EuroFora"s NewsReports from Strasbourg then, particulary on the Planned Constitutional Reform included in the "Peace Plan" that the new Ukranian President had presented then here), as well as to the EU Commission and Council in Brussels.

But the most Important, until now, Quadrilateral France-Germany-Russia-Ukraine Summit, focused on opening the way for a ¨Peaceful Settlement of the Ukranian Conflict, notoriously was that of last February 2015, at Belarus' Capital City, Minsk, which succeeded, for the 1st Time at a Heads of State/Government level, to Draft a Comprehensive set of Political Documents, Extended also into an Official Endorsement of a more Detailed, Implementation Text, Drafted on this occasion in Parallel, under OSCE Auspices, with the Participation of all Sides concerned, included of Representatives of the Autonomist Donetsk/Luhansk Regions, (Comp., f.ex.,among others, also "EuroFora"s Publication on the Full set of its Conclusions, at : http://www.eurofora.net/newsflashes/news/fulltextsofallukraineagreements.html).

Meanwhile, several other "Normandie Format" Quadrilateral Summits of such kind, took place also between Foreign Ministers of the 4 European Countries, particularly in order to Prepare the subsequent Summits, as also recently, on September 12.

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From an Ukraine Peace Summit, to a ... Syria Peace and/or ISIL Summit ?
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But, under the Heavy and Unexpected Pressure of other relevant Currently important Geo-Political Developments, the forthcming Summit for Ukraine, obviously risks to be, at least Partialy, transformed, in practice, also in a kind of ... Syria Summit, mutatis-mutandis, given the Rapid and Strong Moves made these Days by Russia in Syria,, concerning mainly the Crucial Fight of the International Community against Extremist Islamic Terrorists of ISIL's atrocious BeHeaders, (partialy incited also by a Call launched recently by the Experienced French Foreign Minister Fabius vis a vis Moscow to act also directly against ISIL, particularly following President Hollande's latest Decision to Start French Air-Strikes for that purpose there, to which were also added various other Meetiongs between the Russian and the American Political Leadership).

Hopefully, such a New, comparatively more Positive Context, despite the still remaining Difficulties, (particularly as far as it concerns the details of a possible Russo-American coordination, etc), might, eventually, Facilitate the Completion also of the Ukranian Peace process, based on the above-mentioned Minsk Agreements.

Ukraine's Historic, Cultural and Geo-Political profile has also some Traditional characteristics which may Fit quite well inside such an overall Context, given, among others, also the Country's Christian profile, ("It's enough to walk around Kiev's streets, full of Spectacular Churches, etc, in order to realise that Ukraine is a Real European Country", had f.ex. pointed out, already former French President Sarkozy, speaking as EU-Chairman-in-office, together with former EU Commission's long-time President Barroso, when they had met with then Ukranian President Yutsenko,  at Elysee Palace in Paris, back on September 2008 : Comp. f. ex. "EuroFora"s NewsReport from Elysée, at : ......).  And the supplementary Fact that even the Christianisation of all the Russian Culture Area, notoriously Started Historically at nowadays Ukraine,  might naturally be Helpful in this regard.

According to Figures published at the Beginning of September 2015 by UNO's High Commissioner on Human Rights, at nearby Geneva, the Ukranian Conflict has already provoked More than 8.000 Dead, and 17.810 Wounded Victims, many among them being simple Civilian People.