KYIV. Sept 23 (Interfax) - The middle of October is the most realistic time of a Normandy-format summit, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Vadym Prystaiko said.
"This concerns dates to accommodate everyone. President Macron has invited [the sides] to Paris. I believe that the middle of October will be the most realistic time," Prystaiko said in an interview with the media outlet Hromadske.
The Trilateral Contact Group on Ukraine (TCG) has yet to coordinate the text for the Normandy-format summit, he said. "I think the text will soon be coordinated either in a video linkup or at another meeting in Minsk," Prystaiko said.
The text which the Normandy-format leaders could sign at their meeting is being coordinated, he said. "Negotiating teams are working on it, and preparations will be phased. Hopefully, this work will not delay the meeting for too long, because we want it to be held as soon as possible. As you know, we planned to hold the meeting earlier, but were unable to do so for technical reasons. Now, I hope the four leaders will agree on a convenient time," Prystaiko said.
For the purpose of avoiding different interpretations of the Steinmeier formula, advisors of the Normandy-format leaders agreed on a text, "which represents a clear statement of the formula," at their meeting on September 2, and "all the four sides expressed their consent," Prystaiko said. "It [the Steinmeier formula] exists. It is here, in my yellow file. This is the Steinmeier formula, in the form that everyone's talking about and some have no faith in. Unfortunately, I cannot show it to the camera, but this is roughly what it looks like," he said.
The text coordinated by advisors of the Normandy-format leaders was presented to the TCG to be discussed and approved by all members and involved parties, Prystaiko said.