Putin in France will meet with Sarkozy

Vladimir Putin begins his first visit to Western Europe as a prime minister. According to Kommersant on Thursday, in Paris he will meet with French Prime Minister Francois Fiion and his former colleague President Nicolas Sarkozy.

As a high -ranking source in French diplomatic circles told the publication, Putin's upcoming visit caused a commotion in the French Foreign Ministry, because "everyone understands that he is not just a prime minister." Ordinary diplomatic practice implies the full negotiations of the head of a foreign government with his French colleague, as well as a brief meeting with the president of France. Accordingly, completely different packages of documents are prepared for these meetings.

However, Putin, although it is formally the chairman of the government, can really discuss and solve a much wider range of issues. As a result, the Foreign Ministry of France prepared for Francois Fiion and Nicolas Sarkozy one, but a large package of documents, including a wide range of topics that the Russian guest can affect.

According to Oleg Belous, director of the First European Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the official negotiation program meets the level of the premier visit. "Vladimir Putin will discuss with the leadership of France, various problems of economic interaction, primarily energy, space and aircraft industry," Belous said. Sources on Smolenskaya Square and in the government apparatus say that the main issues of energy negotiations will be the participation of the French company Total in the development of the Shtokman gas condensate field, the cooperation of the Russian Atomenergomash and the French company Alstom, as well as joint projects of Inter RAO UES and Electricite de France.

The main issues, according to Kommersant, will be discussed at a meeting of Putin with Sarkozy. At the same time, the main content of their conversation will concern wider ones in the joint projects of Russian and French companies. “In the current conditions, we are considering France not only from the point of view of bilateral cooperation,” a source in the Foreign Ministry said. “On July 1, Paris will become the chairman of the European Union for six months. We hope that these six months of the French chairmanship will be fruitful for cooperation between Russia and the EU.”