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Russian, French foreign ministers to discuss bilateral cooperation

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and his French counterpart Jean Yves Le Drian wll hold talks on February 27

MOSCOW, February 27. /TASS/. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and his French counterpart Jean Yves Le Drian wll hold talks on Tuesday, focusing on prospects of development of bilateral ties, and exchange of opinions regarding the situation in Syria, Ukraine and the Korean peninsula.

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

Russia’s Foreign Ministry said that "the relations between Russia and France are characterized by an intensive dialogue at both summit and high levels." "Over the past year there have been six personal meetings between foreign ministers of the two countries," the ministry added.

"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," Russia’s Foreign Ministry said. "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 a 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 ministry said.

During the talks, the ministers "will dwell upon the issues related to preparations for French President Emmanuel Macron’s visit to Russia in May, when the French leader plans to attend the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum as an honorary guest," the Foreign Ministry said.

"The sides will exchange opinions regarding the state and prospects of bilateral trade and economic ties amid agreements reached in December 2017 in Moscow at the session of the Franco-Russian Economic, Financial, Industrial and Trade Council (CEFIC)," the ministry said.

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