MOSCOW, July 2. /TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin has told his French counterpart, Emmanuel Macron, that Moscow is ready to resume comprehensive dialogue with the European Union, the Kremlin press service said on Friday after their telephone conversation.

"The sides agreed that building constructive and predictable relations between Russia and the European Union, return to a normal and trust-based dialogue will facilitate resolution of such problems as cybersecurity, fight against international terrorism, healthcare, climate, settling regional conflicts," the Kremlin said, adding that Putin stressed that "Russia is ready for that if the European Union demonstrates a genuine reciprocal interest."

The two presidents focused special attention on the "problems of stability and security on the European continent," it said. "It was noted that the agreements on establishing joint work to form a new architecture of security and trust in Europe that were reached by the two presidents in Fort de Bregancon in August 2019 are still topical".

Putin and Macron also discussed bilateral relations. "The sides discussed in detail a wide range of issues of the Russian-French cooperation in international affairs," the Kremlin said. "The Russian and French presidents also discussed issues of bilateral cooperation, first of all in the trade-and-economic sphere, as well as in the energy sector and in the area of cultural and humanitarian cooperation".

Putin and Macron met in Fort de Bregancon in August 2019. Back then, the two presidents stressed the necessity of a strategic dialogue between Moscow and Paris. Putin’s invitation to the French president’s summer residence was interpreted back then as Macron’s interest to see Russia reunited with Europe "from Lisbon to Vladivostok".