MOSCOW, May 30. /TASS/. Monday’s summit meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and French President Emanuel Macron gives a positive answer to a question about a possible unifying agenda for the two countries, believes Konstantin Kosachev, the chairman of the foreign policy committee in the upper house of Russian parliament.
"I daresay the meeting between the Russian and French Presidents disappointed those who had expected sensations and scandals," Kosachev wrote in Facebook. "Everything at the meeting was polite and, in many ways, fruitful and both sides tried to demonstrate their disposition towards resolving problems, not complicating them further."
"Is there a tangible unifying agenda for Russia and France," he asked. "I think the first ‘familiarization visit’ gives a positive enough answer although it would be overly optimistic to expect concrete results."
As an instance of a unifying item, Kosachev singled out counteraction to terrorism.
On the whole Macron made a "powerful enough and sovereign move" by holding a meeting with Putin, he wrote. "French voters expect the new President to have more independence in foreign policy. Many people are discontent with the level unworthy of a country as great as France, to which its role degraded during (Francois) Hollande’s presidency."
"Now it’s important to watch what the first agreements between the two Presidents will transform into," Kosachev said. "Then it will be possible to make conclusions regarding the pragmatism and independence of the new French President’s course.".