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Russian defense minister proposes exchanging combat ship visit to French counterpart

Sergei Shoigu confirmed that French experts are invited to take part in the Army international technical forum and the International Army Games in August-September 2020

© Yekaterina Shtukina/Russian Government Press Office/TASS

MOSCOW, May 14. /TASS/. Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu has had a phone call with his French counterpart Florence Parly on Thursday and proposed exchanging a visit of the two countries’ combat ships and also invited French military officials to the Army forum and the International Army Games, the Russian defense ministry’s press service told reporters.

"Army General Sergei Shoigu proposed to set up work of Russian-French inter-agency expert groups for security, plan exchanging students to develop military education ties as well as make preparations for a visit of a French navy ship to one of Russian ports and send a Russian navy ship to a French port," the agency noted.

Shoigu confirmed that French experts are invited to take part in the Army international technical forum and the International Army Games in August-September 2020. The sides also discussed "measures to combat COVID-19 spread, bilateral military cooperation and arms control issues," the Russian ministry underlined.

Moreover, the ministers exchanged opinions on the current situation in Europe, the Middle East and North Africa and compared opinions on implementation of agreements reached during a ‘2+2’ format meeting of defense and foreign ministers in September 2019.

The Russian military agency clarified that the top defense officials agreed to continue dialogue on issue of mutual interest.

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