MOSCOW, May 7 (Itar-Tass) — Russia seeks to establish contacts with new French President Francois Hollande, said Yuri Ushakov, the government office’s deputy head, who is in charge of foreign political issues.
“It is natural that new contacts will be established with a new person. All show interest in establishing contacts,” Ushakov said.
At the same time, he recognised that the new French president “is a clean slate for Russia”.
According to Konstantin Kosachev, head of the Federal Agency for the CIS Affairs, Compatriots Living Abroad and International Cooperation, the victory of Hollande in France has a positive impact on Russian-French relations. “Fortunately, for many years our relations with France are gotten rid of any subjective factor. They depend less who is in power now,” Kosachev stressed.
“Russia and France have mutual interests in culture. Civil societies of both countries maintain relationship,” he noted. Kosachev cited as an example relations between Russia and the United States where “we cannot get rid of the subjective factor – much will depend on who will come to power in the United States after the upcoming elections”.
“Of course, Mr. Hollande’s political views differ from Mr. Sarkozy’s ones. Bu if any nuances or new moments emerge, this period will be fast-moving and relations will become stable,” Kosachev stressed.