Finland's president says Minsk agreement should be looked at again

HELSINKI, Feb 4 (Reuters) - The Minsk agreement should be revisited to find a solution to the ongoing crisis between Ukraine and Russia, Finland's President Sauli Niinisto said on Friday.

Niinisto said Russia's President Vladimir Putin had brought up the Minsk agreement, opens new tab in his recent discussion with him.

The Minsk set of agreements was signed in 2014 and 2015 by the leaders of Ukraine, Russia, France and Germany as a response to Russia's annexation of Crimea.

Finland, which is not a NATO member, shares the European Union's longest external border with Russia, and Niinisto has insisted on regular discussions with Putin throughout years of crisis and frozen relations between the West and Russia since the annexation of Crimea.

Niinisto said the Minsk agreement had been somewhat forgotten for several years but in his most recent call with Putin the Russian leader had emphasized its importance again.

"A possible solution and the most possible solution (to the current situation) could be the Minsk agreement to be fulfilled or that there would be significant progress in its implementation," Niinisto said, in conclusion of his talks with Putin.

Within Russia's list of demands under the Minsk agreement, Niinisto said continuation of arms control and avoidance of possible military risks were among key points that could lead to opening the current deadlock in talks to solve the crisis.

One of the hardest topics to settle in the agreement will be Russia's demand to give the Donbass area or the breakaway east Ukraine regions, opens new tab in Ukraine an autonomous status and the right of veto on Ukraine's foreign relations, Niinisto said.