Merkel and Hollande confirm their visit to Minsk

(updated) Summit in Norman format starts not earlier than 18:00.

President of France François Hollande and the German Chancellor Angela Merkel have decided to leave for Minsk to participate in negotiations. The Elysee Palace announced.

The statement emphasizes that both politicians "intend to make every effort" to succeed, Nasha Niva reports.

Meanwhile, the Belarusian Foreign Ministry asks journalists to appear in the Palace of Independence at 15:00.

About 400 journalists will cover the summit.

Interfax-Ukraine reports that the meeting of the President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko, the President of France François Hollande, the German Chancellor Angela Merkel and the Russian President Vladimir Putin starts at about 18:00.

It should be reminded that Andrei Sannikau, the coordinator of the civil campaign European Belarus believes that the German Chancellor and the French President, if they come to Minsk, must demand the release of all political prisoners, otherwise they will lose face, at least in the eyes of Belarusians. "In principle Angela Merkel had to demand to release a candidate for Presidency Mikalai Statkevich before her arrival to Minsk. It is not too late to do so. One cannot fight one dictator, resorting to services of the other one. You cannot save Ukrainians, betraying Belarusians", Sannikau believes.