French PM Urges Resumption of Regular Intergov’t Meetings With Russia

French Prime Minister Manuel Valls said that among the fields of the Russian-French cooperation to be discussed at intergovernmental meetings would be "production sector, nuclear energy, transportation, agricultural issues, especially the embargo."

MUNICH(Sputnik) — French Prime Minister Manuel Valls called on Saturday to resume practice of regular intergovernmental meetings with the Russian side.

"We used to have regular government meetings at the prime ministerial level, I think it is necessary to resume them, I hope that this will happen as soon as possible," Valls said in Munich at the meeting with Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev.

He added that among the fields of the Russian-French cooperation to be discussed at such meetings would be "production sector, nuclear energy, transportation, agricultural issues, especially the embargo."

Relations between Russia and the European Union member states, including France, went downhill in 2014, when Brussels joined Washington in accusing Moscow of fueling the Ukrainian crisis and imposed several rounds of sanctions as a punitive measure.

The Russian authorities have refuted the allegations, warning that the Western sanctions are counterproductive. In response to the Western restrictive measures, in August 2014, Russia announced a one-year food embargo on some products originating in states that imposed sanctions against it. The ban has since been extended for another year.

Last month, French Minister of Economy, Finance and Industry Emmanuel Macron said France hoped that the anti-Russia sanctions would be lifted this summer.