MOSCOW, December 5. /TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin has held a private meeting with former French Prime Minister Francois Fillon on Wednesday, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.
"Putin and Fillon have been maintaining friendly relations for a long time," Peskov said. "During Fillon’s term as [French] prime minister, Putin served as Prime Minister of Russia," Peskov pointed out, adding that "later they continued to maintain contacts."
Fillon served as French Prime Minister in 2007-2012 under President Nicolas Sarkozy. He ran the 2017 presidential election as the Republican nominee and came third.
Putin was Russian Prime Minister from 2008 to 2012.