Today's Date:

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THE MINISTER – This quadripartite dialogue is wholly unique. I believe it doesn’t exist with any other country and it’s an altogether major part of the strategic dialogue between Russia and France desired by our two presidents.

ESDP/NATO/RUSSIA

I’d just like to make two observations on two major points. Firstly, (...) the security architecture in Europe which we’ve worked on: we’re seeking and we want to find the best way of developing this association between Russia and the European Common Security and Defence Policy. And since, particularly for our Russian partners, the model is the existing partnership with NATO, we have to explain that the European Union’s security policy is neither comparable with nor similar to NATO. They are quite different, and I think today this is well understood. We’re convinced that we’re going to find a solution for this operational partnership, including for deciding and carrying out operations together, in the framework of the European common security policy and this partnership with Russia.

IRAN/NUCLEAR PROLIFERATION/TERRORISM

We worked, of course – and this is my second point – on the major common threats: terrorism and the proliferation of nuclear weapons.

As regards Iran, since the beginning of the European troika's initiative, we have been in contact with Russia and are working closely with her, talking and acting along the same lines.

And in the battle against terrorism, we are resolved to strengthen our bilateral cooperation and act together in the multilateral fora, particularly at United Nations level. We are both determined to bring a security-oriented response to the terrorist threat by all the means at our disposal, and are also anxious to fight the roots of terrorism on which the terrorist networks feed: wars, regional conflicts, and injustice.

RUSSIAN PRESIDENTIAL ENVOY/NORTH CAUCASUS

This is, moreover, why we have very positively welcomed President Putin's decision to appoint Mr Kozak to look at socio-economic development in the North Caucasus. We are convinced, as I said at the United Nations, that a safer, freer world will first of all be a fairer world. (...)./.