PARIS, April 28. /TASS/. A total of 85 French MPs have submitted for the vote a resolution on lifting the EU sanctions against Russia.
The debate on the draft document began on Thursday at France’s National Assembly, the lower house of parliament.
Member of the center-right Republicans party Thierry Mariani who initiated this parliamentary debate told TASS the document "calls on the French government not to extend the restrictive measures and economic sanctions imposed on Russia by the European Union."
"Such a debate on the cancellation of sanctions is held at the National Assembly for the first time," the politician said.
Mariani said the anti-Russian sanctions bring France nothing but harm and therefore they should be lifted. "Useless and ineffective sanctions against Russia have today become a heavy burden for the French agriculture. That’s why I urge members of the parliamentary majority to show responsibility and independence in this issue.".
According to the lawmaker, lifting the EU sanctions against Russia will work in France’s favor.
"The sanctions were imposed after the events in Ukraine," the lawmaker noted. "However, it turned out that the sanctions against Russia were absolutely ineffective for establishing peace in Ukraine."
"Moreover, the authorities in Kiev in fact do almost nothing for the due implementation of the Minsk agreements," the politician said.
The French centrist party members say that lifting the anti-Russian sanctions would contribute to de-escalation in eastern Ukraine.
"It should be said that when following the US we simply forgot about our own interests - the interests of France," MP Francois Roshebluan said. "As a result, the French economy was seriously affected by Russia’s retaliatory sanctions. Thousands of jobs in France are under threat today."