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The President of France Emmanuel macron gave an interview to the French weekly, in which considerable attention was paid to the recent meeting with Vladimir Putin. He, in particular, said that the results of the negotiations at Versailles, the interaction of the French and Russian sides on the Syrian issue reached a new level. But France and Russia cooperate successfully not only in Syria, said the head of the Fifth Republic — the countries work together to improve cybersecurity in the world. About the new tone in the dialogue between Moscow and Paris at RT.
Red lines in Syria
The President of France Emmanuel macron in an interview he gave to the weekly newspaper Le Journal du dimanche, considerable attention was paid to his recent meeting with Vladimir Putin.
The presidents of Russia and France met at Versailles on may 29, 2017. In an interview with the macron said that following this meeting, the cooperation between Moscow and Paris on the Syrian issue has changed. According to him, cooperation between the services of the two States in Syria has risen to a completely different level.
He stressed that he intends to take a tough stance on the use by anybody of chemical weapons in Syria.
“In that case, if that happens, France will give a prompt response before she resorted to words. I also want to provide access for humanitarian assistance — to ensure the rescue of civilians in a combat zone. These are installed I have two red lines on the Syrian dossier,” said macron.
The French President added that he is aware of the difference between the approaches of Moscow and Paris to the issue of the Syrian settlement, but explained that at the same time is in search of measures that would help to find common ground and to restore peace in the region, putting an end to terrorism.
Macron also confirmed that the departure of the head of Syria from his post more on is for France a necessary condition. He was talking about this earlier — on July 13 in a press conference following the meeting with the President of the United States Donald trump in Paris, he spoke about the change in French doctrine and the rejection of mandatory removal of Assad.
The issue of cybersecurity
Macron spoke not only about Syria but about the consequences of the discussion with Vladimir Putin, the situation with hacker attacks, in which a number of Western media blamed Russia. Macron stated that after talks with the Russian President in Versailles, countries were both raised at the meeting, issues.
The French President said that the topics such electronic attacks are very dangerous and should not interfere with the normal development of bilateral relations of France and Russia. Currently, it is very important to develop a procedure for action to prevent repetition of information of pirate attacks. France and Russia are working on it.
However, he noted that the first telephone talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin after the election of President Makron was almost entirely devoted to the subject of Russian intervention in the French election campaign. Macron, he said, told Mr Putin about the facts, which he had regarding hacker attacks in France.
“The Russian side used the argument, which is that these attacks are not conducted by governmental entities and private individuals. In order to verify this, it is necessary that our services had an exchange of existing information,” said macron.
The French President referred to the attacks despite the fact that earlier the head of the French National security Agency information systems (ANSSI), Guillaume Poupard said that traces of Russian hackers in the attack on the presidential campaign of Emmanuel Macron during the elections of the President of France was not found.
The first meeting
We will remind, the first meeting of Him and Putin in Versailles, which took place at the end of may, lasted three hours. From the Macron noted the priorities in relations with Moscow: human rights, cultural and civil dialogue between the two countries, the de-escalation of the situation in the combat zone in the Donbass and the settlement of the conflict in Syria.
Answering questions of journalists, macron said that negotiations should be conducted “with all parties to the Syrian conflict, including with representatives of the Assad regime.”
Vladimir Putin outlined the Russian views on the priorities in relations with France: bilateral economic cooperation, the possible positive contribution of France in the negotiations on Syria and Ukraine and the joint fight against terrorism.
“I am convinced that the fundamental interests of Russia and France is much more important than the current political situation,” – said the Russian President.
However, it was not during a meeting of presidents without a spoon of tar. During his speech following the meeting, macron said that RT and Sputnik Agency had no right to be in his campaign headquarters, because they are “agencies of influence and false propaganda”.
The chief editor of RT Margarita Simonyan called statements of Macron “a vaudeville”.