MOSCOW, May 7 (Itar-Tass) — Russian President Vladimir Putin said he is ready to work with his French counterpart Francois Hollande to strengthen partnership between the two countries.
Putin congratulated Hollande on the election as France’s president, the Kremlin press service reported on Monday.
“We really value the traditions of our partnership with France. I’d like to confirm my readiness to actively work with you to further strengthen cooperation between both countries,” Putin stressed.
In his greetings message, Putin said, “The French citizens trusted you to lead the country in a rather important and difficult period when Europe and the whole world community face the tasks to overcome the financial and economic crisis and build new models of cooperation.”
“Amidst globalisation the problems and challenges – the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, international terrorism, trans-border crime and drug trafficking, natural and technogenic calamities – are becoming more and more burning and require consolidation and coordination of efforts. So, cooperation in fighting these challenges can yield results if it is maintained in full compliance with the norms of international law and the principles of security indivisibility,” the Russian president said.
“I express satisfaction with the fact that strategic cooperation between the two countries meets these high requirements. Russian-French cooperation develops successfully in a constructive manner on the basis of friendship, mutual sympathies and respect between our peoples. The political dialogue, mutually advantageous economic, scientific, technical, cultural relations are being expanded,” he stressed.
“We value the traditions of Russian-French partnership. I’d like to confirm my readiness for the active joint work with you to promote it further,” Putin pointed out.
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.