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French top diplomat to pay first official visit to Russia

French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian will visit Moscow on June 20 for consultations with his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov

PARIS, June 20. /TASS/. French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian will visit Moscow on Tuesday for consultations with his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov. His first working visit will follow up on the agreement on intensifying the Russian-French cooperation reached by Russian and French Presidents Vladimir Putin and Emmanuel Macron during the negotiations at Versailles on May 29. The Russian leader was the first head of state outside the EU to visit France after the presidential election in that country, which brought Macron a stunning victory.

"Following the meeting between the country’s President (Emmanual Macron) and his Russian counterpart (Vladimir Putin) at Versailles on May 29, Jean-Yves Le Drian will visit Moscow on June 20 to synchronize watches on bilateral cooperation issues and major international problems," French Deputy Foreign Ministry Spokesman Alexandre Georgini told a press briefing in Paris.

Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova earlier said in Moscow that the two ministers would discuss cooperation in combating terrorism, efforts to resolve the crises in Syria, Ukraine and other issues. Among the issues raised at the talks will also be the agenda of the UN Security Council where France and Russia cooperate closely as its permanent members.

According to the Russian Foreign Ministry, France is one of Russia’s leading partners, and the two countries have multifaceted cooperation. Paris’ involvement in the anti-Russian restrictive measures has had an adverse effect on bilateral ties but did not change their friendly nature.

The parties will pay considerable attention to maintaining cultural and humanitarian contacts, studying the conditions for involvement of civil society representatives, including scientists, teachers, young people and students, in them.