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Negotiations with Moscow necessary to defuse tension in Europe, Macron says

According to the French leader, negotiations with Moscow are "more necessary than ever"

PARIS, January 16. /TASS/. French President Emmanuel Macron said that negotiations with Russia are indispensable to reduce tensions in Europe and expressed hope for the continuation of contacts.

"It is proved that the strategy of dialogue always bears fruit. In early January, the sides agreed to resume the [consultation] process. This is what we will be doing in the coming days," he said in an interview with Journal du Dimanche.

According to the French leader, negotiations with Moscow are "more necessary than ever". "If we do not want to retain the status quo which causes everyone to concern about our collective security," he said.

"Washington is currently doing the same thing that I have been doing for several years: they are talking with Russians. This is good news," Macron noted. In addition, he believes that this is not an easy path, and "the level of tension is alarming".

The president also stressed that Paris and Berlin have been negotiating with Russia and Ukraine within the framework of the Minsk agreements for a long time.

On December 17, the Russian Foreign Ministry released a draft agreement on security guarantees between Russia and the United States and a draft agreement on ensuring the security of Russia and NATO member states. Consultations on the issue took place in Geneva on January 10, followed by a meeting of the Russia-NATO Council in Brussels on January 12 and a session of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Permanent Council in Vienna on January 13.

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