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Lavrov to discuss Syria, Ukraine, North Korea with French counterpart

The top diplomats will also discuss preparations for French President Emmanuel Macron’s visit to Russia in May

MOSCOW, February 26. /TASS/. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Tuesday will discuss Syria, Ukraine and North Korea with his French counterpart Jean Yves Le Drian, the Russian Foreign Ministry said on Monday.

"On the list of foreign policy themes priority attention will be paid to the settlement of the Syrian crisis, the situation in Ukraine, the Middle East, the Korean Peninsula, and Russia-France cooperation in the OSCE and the Council of Europe," the Russian Foreign Ministry said.

"The ministers will also touch upon preparations for French President Emmanuel Macron’s visit to Russia in May. The French leader will attend the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum in the capacity of honorary guest," the Foreign Ministry said.

"Russian-French relations are characterized by an intensive dialogue at both summit and high levels," the ministry said. "Over the past year there have been six personal meetings between the foreign ministers. France has always been and remains Russia’s important partner. Our countries are permanent members of the UN Security Council and in this capacity they bear special responsibility for maintaining international security and stability."

"Although our positions do not always coincide, joint efforts by the two countries are capable of considerably easing tensions in European affairs and on the global scale, let alone many regional crises in whose settlement Russia and France are involved in this or that way," the Russian Foreign Ministry said.