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New US president likely to tighten anti-Russian policy — French MP

Many countries are guided by the US policy and so there is a chance that the Western sanctions will not be lifted soon, member of the French National Assembly Thierry Mariani believes

MOSCOW, July 23. /TASS/. The United States will tighten its policy against Russia irrespective of who wins the next US presidential elections, member of the French National Assembly Thierry Mariani told reporters on Thursday.

Mariani heads the delegation of French lawmakers who have decided to visit Crimea. The delegation comprising deputies of the French National Assembly and senators have arrived in Crimea on Thursday on a two-day visit.

"US elections are approaching. Everyone understands that the elections will worsen the situation: a person who will come to power will pursue a tougher policy. Meanwhile, a very large number of countries are guided by the US policy and so there is a chance that the [Western] sanctions will not be lifted soon," Mariani said in an interview with Rossiya-24 TV channel.

Sanctions, however, do not yield anything positive, the French parliamentarian said.

"Sanctions always throw back. This is a vicious circle," he added.

The French agricultural sector has been hit by a prolonged crisis due to the anti-Russian sanctions because local agricultural producers have lost their sales markets in Russia while German agribusiness have been forced to redirect their produce to France, Mariani said.

"This has disrupted the balance on the market. This is the case when sanctions generate sanctions. This always ends badly for everyone," the French MP said.