The blast followed a series of car bombs mainly in towns under the control of the internationally recognized government.

The frequency of new cases no longer appears to be increasing in Guinea and Liberia but remains high in Sierra Leone.

Meanwhile, WTI prices, the U.S. oil benchmark, are down 1 per cent at $77.18, after falling through the $80 level just last week.

Salber also reiterated that the position of the EU in the conflict is to support the Minsk process, rather than replace or undermine it.

Lawmakers voted overwhelmingly to extend their mandate, skipping scheduled elections for the second consecutive time.

"We could see the outline of a final deal emerging by Nov 24 but probably not the deal itself," a Western official said.