Poroshenko, Merkel discuss situation in E. Ukraine

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko on Thursday met with German Chancellor Angela Merkel to discuss the situation in eastern Ukraine, the presidential press service said in a statement.

At the meeting held in the framework of the European People's Party summit in Malta, Poroshenko and Merkel have discussed steps to intensify the Minsk peace process.

They agreed to hold trilateral phone talks on Ukraine crisis next week, which would also involve French President Francois Hollande.

The Minsk peace agreement designed to end the conflict in eastern Ukraine, was reached in February 2015 in talks involving leaders of Ukraine, Russia, Germany and France.

The confrontation between government troops and pro-independence insurgents rages in eastern Ukraine since April 2014, claiming the lives of some 10,000 people.

The conflicting parties are due to start a new round of ceasefire on April 1.