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French top diplomat: Dialogue with Russia key for building security architecture in Europe

French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian told France said that "we need to open doors for dialogue with Russia, without denying the difficulties, confrontation and issues"

French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian EPA-EFE/AHMED JALIL

French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian

© EPA-EFE/AHMED JALIL

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PARIS, December 15. /TASS/. Russia remains a key player, and dialogue with Moscow is important for building the European security architecture, French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian told France Inter radio stattion on Sunday.

"We need to open doors for dialogue with Russia, without denying the difficulties, confrontation and issues, without naivite," Le Drian said. "This will allow to gradually build something that may further become the security acrhitecture in Europe," he added.

"I am not saying that the intention to restore trusting ties without denying the rest would allow to achieve improvement in the situation with talks on Ukraine, but in any case, a meeting as the high level took place in Paris on Monday <...> which would allow to achieve progress," he noted.

The French foreign minister said that Russia represents a threat to NATO, adding that the Alliance members allegedly encountered that in the context of cyber attacks, Syrian dossier, "violating agreements on Ukraine and its autonomy." Le Drian noted that Paris is trying to "demonstrate resolve in protecting its [eastern] allies" and at the same time "open dialogue with Russia on those issues, on which we could reach agreement.".

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