Heads of Russian, French Upper Houses Agree to Intensify Сooperation

Valentina Matvienko, the speaker of Russia's upper house, and French Senate President Gerard Larcher stressed the need to restore trade volumes and economic relations between Russia and France.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Valentina Matvienko, the speaker of Russia's upper house, and French Senate President Gerard Larcher agreed to intensify joint efforts to restore “traditionally friendly" relations between the two countries during a telephone conversation, the Russian Federation Council said in statement on Friday.

“The sides stressed the need to restore trade volumes and economic relations between Russia and France. They discussed prospects for expanding the cooperation between the two parliaments,” the statement reads.

Matvienko and Larcher also discussed parliamentary involvement in the settlement of the situation in Ukraine, noting that February's Minsk peace agreements are the only basis for the resolution of the crisis in the region.

Relations between Moscow and European member states deteriorated significantly due to the conflict in eastern Ukraine, which the West blames Moscow for fueling, introducing several rounds of anti-Russia sanctions in response. Moscow has firmly denied the allegations.