PARIS, July 9. /TASS/. French Defense Minister Sebastien Lecornu believes it is all-important that nuclear powers talk to each other, putting aside any differences in the name of maintaining dialogue.

"This is the ‘red telephone’ principle that we have seen in Cold War movies: nuclear powers must remain in contact," the defense chief told the Valeurs Actuelles magazine in an interview, commenting on the recent telephone call between Russian President Vladimir Putin and his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron.

Lecornu stated that "nuclear-armed states have special obligations toward one another." "It is essential that we engage with the UN Security Council members, the major nuclear powers, no matter what our disagreements may be. These countries are the guarantors behind the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons," the minister emphasized.

He also added that the parties continue cooperation in counterterrorism efforts.

The presidents of Russia and France spoke on the phone on July 1 for the first time in nearly three years. Both the Kremlin and the Elysee Palace characterized the conversation as productive. The two leaders had maintained regular contact until September 2022, when the lines of communication were interrupted.