President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko has held a phone conversation with High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini.

The parties have discussed the situation in Donbas and the fulfillment of the Minsk agreements on the eve of informal meeting of the Foreign Ministers of the EU countries that will be held on March 6-7 in Riga and the next session of the Foreign Affairs Council of the European Union.

The President has urged the EU to be guided by the fulfillment of the Minsk agreements and by the previous decisions of the European Council in the issue of continuation and possible enhancement of sanctions towards Russia.

The parties have agreed with the need for immediate expansion of the OSCE mandate, enhancement of technical and functional capabilities of the OSCE SMM, which must carry out more efficient monitoring and verification of the ceasefire regime and the withdrawal of weaponry. At the same time, President Poroshenko has emphasized that it was necessary to make international efforts to deploy peacekeeping contingent in Donbas.

Federica Mogherini has assured of support towards Ukraine and President Poroshenko's efforts. She has expressed condolences over the accident in the coal mine Zasyadko, which ended up with 33 miners dead. The President has noted that the given tragedy was a consequence of the humanitarian and technogenic situation in Donbas, as well as the actions of militants that didn't let relevant Ukrainian rescue services save lives of Ukrainian miners.

The parties have agreed to hold the meeting in the nearest time during the visit of President of the European Commission Jean-Claude Juncker to Ukraine.