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Strategies & Market Trends : Booms, Busts, and Recoveries

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To: sciAticA errAticA who wrote (32587)4/28/2003 9:59:54 AM
From: sciAticA errAticA  Read Replies (1) of 74559
 
(Moscow) Pledge to Boost Ties With Paris


By Deborah Seward
The Associated Press
Monday, Apr. 28, 2003. Page 3


France and Russia have agreed to intensify military cooperation and joint weapons
production to counter regional and global threats, the defense ministers of the two
countries said.


"The meetings took place in a climate of great cordiality, great confidence and a very
practical spirit with a look toward the future," French Defense Minister Michele
Alliot-Marie said Friday following talks with Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov.
Russia and France, both of which firmly opposed the U.S.-led war in Iraq, have
intensified political and diplomatic cooperation in recent months. They now look set to
deepen military ties as well.


Upon greeting Alliot-Marie before their talks Friday, Ivanov said French-Russian
relations constituted one "of the most important elements" of overall stability in
Europe. He said the two countries had substantially activated their relations recently.
Both ministers said their countries want to develop weaponry that could be sold to
third countries and to hold joint training exercises to improve the ability of their armed
forces to work together.


Alliot-Marie stressed that France and Russia historically had strong military ties that
could help the two countries develop better relations in the 21st century.


"These relations are old and very strong," she said. She described current ties as
"excellent," adding that they should be reinforced. Several of Alliot-Marie's senior
aides have family ties to Russia.


"Russian-French contacts are intensifying and are developing successfully," Ivanov
said.


The two ministers discussed the situation concerning multilateral peacekeeping forces
in the Balkans and in Afghanistan. Alliot-Marie said the U.S.-led war in Iraq had not led
to tensions among members of the international peacekeeping force in Afghanistan.
Both ministers said they expected closer ties in defense manufacturing. France and
Russia are currently working to develop a new generation MiG fighter plane. Ivanov
indicated that other projects were in the works but declined to provide details.
Ivanov also said they discussed Russian proposals for a European-wide anti-missile
defense that have been floating about since the United States gave notice it was
withdrawing from the 1972 ABM Treaty.

themoscowtimes.com
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