French Foreign Minister Outlines Importance Of Dialogue With Russia In Various Formats

French Foreign Minister Outlines Importance of Dialogue With Russia in Various Formats

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 21st January, 2022) � In talks with his American, British and German colleagues, French� Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian on Thursday insisted on the importance of keeping up dialogue with Moscow through all platforms launched last week.

"I underlined, concerning the dialogue with Russia, the importance of pursuing demanding exchanges with Moscow in all the formats initiated last week, in particular within the framework of the Normandy format (a platform set up in 2014 involving Germany, Russia, Ukraine and France to resolve the conflict in Donbas), within the framework of the American-Russian dialogue on strategic stability, in the NATO/Russia Council, and in the OSCE," the minister said in a statement.

Le Drian's statement comes shortly after meeting with German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, and British Deputy Foreign Minister James Cleverly in Berlin.

European actors play an important role in each of the formats launched earlier this month, Le Drian went on, adding that he recalled "basic priorities" reflecting the common security interests of Europe and its allies to further "nurture the collective dialogue with the Russians."

In December, Russia presented its draft proposals on security guarantees to the United States and NATO. On January 10, Russia and the US held a round of strategic stability dialogue in Geneva. On January 12, the first NATO-Russia Council meeting since 2019 took place at NATO headquarters in Brussels. The meeting was followed by Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) talks in Vienna the next day.

Russia's proposals on security guarantees were the main subject of all meetings.