French FM Advocates Dialogue With Moscow in Line With Int’l Law

PARIS (Sputnik) - Paris is advocating frank and unambiguous dialogue with Moscow, which should respect the international law, French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said Thursday.

"We want to have an open dialogue with Moscow, an unambiguous dialogue, a demanding dialogue. And we demand Moscow to respect the international law,” Le Drian told the RTL broadcaster.

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The minister confirmed that French President Emmanuel Macron’s visit to Russia in May was still planned, when asked whether it could be canceled in the light of the poisoning of former Russian intelligence officer Sergei Skripal.

Russia and France have constantly stated the intention to increase bilateral trade and to develop cooperation in such areas as innovations, hi-tech and green technologies.

Earlier, the Russian ambassador to France voiced deep regret concerning the expulsion of several Russian diplomats as Paris decided to follow the lead of London and blamed Moscow for the poisoning of former spy Skripal.

On March 4, Skripal and his daughter Yulia were found unconscious at a shopping center in Salisbury and are currently being treated for exposure to what UK experts believe to be the A234 nerve agent. The UK immediately blamed the attack on Russia, claiming that nerve agent was developed in the Soviet Union. The Russian side has denied the British side's accusations.