"We in Germany and France have a clear position on the sanctions," Gabriel said during the news conference with his French counterpart Jean-Marc Ayrault.
"We wish to implement the Minsk peace process ... And that is the only way that sanctions can be lifted."
Gabriel said he and Ayrault also agreed that it was important that Germany and France express strong unified positions on issues. He said the two countries would create bilateral working groups to address issues such as Ukraine and Russia, according to Reuters.