BRISBANE, November 16. /TASS/. The crisis in Ukraine should not influence the relations between Paris and Moscow, France’s President Francois Hollande told a news conference in Australia’s Brisbane following the G20 summit on Sunday.

“France’s role is to find a way out from the crisis,” he said.

Paris had joined the sanctions against Moscow believing them necessary, he said.

“Necessary because was breached Ukraine’s territory integrity. Nor were observed several obligations undertaken under the Minsk agreements,” Hollande said.

While pointing to the effect from the sanctions on the Russian economy, the president confirmed the limitation measures against the Russian Federation “also affected the European economy, including the positions of the agricultural producers, where products were cut off the Russian market.”

“There were also other effects for the European economy: look at the development data in Germany in the third quarter. The sanctions also affected France, which has important economic relations with Russia,” the French president said.

“France continues playing its role in the current situation. It has been playing it jointly with other European countries. It has been playing it as it is an ally of the U.S. We are wondering: how can we be useful in the current situation? How to make it so that France’s position, which is special, could favour settlement of the Ukrainian conflict, not its further development?”

“But at the same time, it is necessary - and I have told President Putin about it during the negotiations - that [Russia] gave certain signals, undertook certain initiatives. If this is not done, if, on the contrary, will remain the aspiration for use of force, then France will have to take new decisions [on sanctions].”

However, the president said, that would not “reflect intentions” France had.