LE HAVRE /France/, June 24. /TASS/. Anti-Russian sanctions are temporary, these measures can be lifted at any time, French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe said at a press conference with his Russian counterpart Dmitry Medvedev, who was in France on a one-day visit.
"This is a temporary stage, which can be canceled at any time. We know why these sanctions were imposed. I think Russia knows about this as well. We should use every opportunity to diversify our relations," Philippe said.
The French Prime Minister stressed that "relations between the two countries are not limited to relations between the states, they also rely on the peoples, territories, the literature."
"Our countries sometimes share a common position, sometimes our positions are somewhat different. There are also issues where we have major differences," Philippe stated.
"In France, we sometimes hear a refrain that supposedly the dialogue between France and Russia is insufficient. But I would like to say to everyone who is ready to hear it, that this does not correspond to reality," Philippe said.
In 2014, the EU imposed sanctions against Russia in connection with the events in Ukraine and the reunification of the Crimea with Russia. The restrictive measures were repeatedly extended. Negotiations on a visa-free regime and a new basic cooperation agreement were suspended. Russian officials were banned from entering the EU, while their assets were frozen. The restrictive measures with regard of trade, financial and defense sectors were introduced.