Putin, Merkel exchange views on situation in Ukraine, gas problems - Kremlin

Russian President Vladimir Putin had a telephone conversation with German Chancellor Angela Merkel to exchange views on the development of the situation in Ukraine, the Kremlin press service reported on Thursday.
“The sides stressed the importance of strict compliance with the Minsk peace agreements, first of all on the ceasefire, withdrawal of heavy weapons by both parties and ensuring efficient monitoring of the situation by the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE),” the press service said.

“Putin focused on the inadmissibility of further shelling of civilian facilities in eastern Ukraine by the Ukrainian army,” the press service noted.
The two leaders also “spoke in favour of the soonest reaching and implementing agreements on the Ukrainian gas problem.”
Apart from that, according to the Kremlin press service, the two leaders “touched upon issues of international cooperation in counteracting terrorist threats coming from the radical group Islamic State.”
“The sides also discussed issues of cooperation to ensure efficient control of the deadly Ebola infectious disease. They agreed to continue dialogue at various levels, including in the framework of the forthcoming Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) Summit due in Milan on October 16-17, 2014,” the press service said.
The telephone conversation was initiated by the German side.