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Russian security chief holds talks with French counterpart in Moscow

MOSCOW, February 12. /TASS/. Secretary of Russia’s Security Council Nikolai Patrushev held talks with France’s Secretary General for Defense and National Security Stephane Bouillon in Moscow on Friday, the Russian Security Council said.

"They discussed future cooperation between Moscow and Paris in the security field," the statement says.

Apart from that, Patrushev and Bouillon focused on "cooperation in cybersecurity, noting the contact expansion of a variety of threats and challenges in the information sector, in particular due to the rollout of brand-new information and communication technology," the press service said.

Patrushev’s previous meeting with France’s secretary general for defense and national security took place in Moscow in September 2019, when Claire Landais held that post. In December 2020, the Russian Security Council head met with Emmanuel Bonne, the French president’s top diplomatic adviser.

It was Patrushev’s second meeting with European counterparts in the past week. On Thursday, he held talks with Director of the Swiss Federal Intelligence Service Jean-Philippe Gaudin.

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