MFA Spokesman Andrei Nesterenko Interview to RIA Novosti Concerning Upcoming Ninth Session of Russian-French Security Cooperation Council with Participation of Foreign and Defense Ministers
Question: The Ninth Session of the Russian-French Security Cooperation Council involving foreign and defense ministers will be held next week in Paris. What functions does this Council perform?
Answer: The Ninth Session of the Russian-French Security Cooperation Council, with joint attendance by the foreign and defense ministers of the two countries will be held on September 7. Traditionally, French President Nicolas Sarkozy will receive the session participants.
The Cooperation Council is a unique mechanism of interaction between Russia and France on foreign and security policy related issues where the ministers discuss and agree positions on topical international problems and bilateral cooperation.
The decision to establish the Council was adopted by the Presidents of Russia and France in 2002. Pursuant to it, a Joint Statement by the Foreign Ministers of Russia and France on the establishment of the Council determining its order of work was signed in Moscow on July 8, 2002 and in November in the same year its first session took place. Cooperation Council meetings are held alternately in Moscow and Paris. The last session was held in Moscow in October 2009.
Question: What major issues of the international agenda will be discussed during the session?
Answer: Given the multifaceted cooperation between Russia and France as part of major European organizations, as well as the significant contribution of our countries to stability on the continent, issues of European security will be thoroughly considered, with emphasis on the initiative of Dmitry Medvedev to conclude a European Security Treaty, the French proposal for the creation of “a Euro-Atlantic and Eurasian Security Space,” the Russian-German idea of establishing a Russia-EU Committee on Security and Foreign Policy and other initiatives put forward in this regard.
It is also planned to review in detail the state of, and prospects for the Russia-EU partnership, particularly in light of the creation of a common space of external security, as well as the future of Russia-NATO relations, including in view of the development of a new strategic concept of the alliance and the agenda of the RNC, and the preparations for an OSCE summit in Astana in December this year.
In the area of conventional arms control the session will discuss the situation surrounding the CFE Treaty, touch on missile defense issues and examine the non-proliferation dossier.
We expect that a serious discussion on joint efforts to combat maritime piracy will take place in Paris and it is our intention to put not only operational collaboration, but also the theme of creating an international mechanism to prosecute pirates at the center of the debate on this file.
It is proposed to comprehensively discuss the Middle East peace process, including in light of the resumption on Sept. 2 in Washington of direct Palestinian-Israeli negotiations. We intend to compare notes with our French counterparts on this issue.
The situation in Afghanistan will also be the focus of attention of the ministers, including from the viewpoint of countering the drug menace emanating from Afghan territory.
This summer’s abnormal heat in central Russia and the related wildfires, the floods in Pakistan and other natural disasters that have occurred recently, have once again demonstrated the urgency of establishing a system of international emergency response cooperation. It is planned to discuss these issues as well, including in terms of creating pools of manpower and resources for emergency response.
Question: From what vantage point will the session discuss issues related to the development of bilateral cooperation in various fields?
Answer: There will be bilateral meetings of the foreign affairs and defense ministers that will make it possible to discuss in detail the state of, and prospects for Russian-French relations in the political, trade, economic and cultural fields, as well as military cooperation.
In view of France’s upcoming presidency of the Group of Eight and the Group of Twenty in 2011, the prospects of bilateral interaction in these important formats will be substantively examined.
We hope that the foreign and defense ministers’ talks in Paris and the meeting of the President of the Republic of France with them will further strengthen the Russian-French strategic partnership, bilaterally and in various international formats as well.
