Jean-Yves Le Drian said the talks would bring more predictability to the situation between the two countries
French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian welcomed the agreement in Geneva between Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Joe Biden to start a strategic dialogue.
“There have been positive developments in the area of strategic stability this week”, – he said in an interview with BFM television on Friday. – “The first one was “the US-Russian meeting which marked an agreement to start a strategic dialogue in order to ensure more stability and security, more predictability in the situation between the two countries.”
According to the minister, “this dialogue could lead tomorrow to the establishment of rules that will be respected by all”.
“I am very concerned that since some time there has not been a security architecture that the US and Russia would respect. In the 1980s [of the last century] there were many treaties in this area, mainly between Russia and the US on arms control”, – Le Drian continued.
He noted that “in those years, the parties sought to reduce the number of missile warheads.” “There was also a treaty to limit intermediate-range weapons, i.e. Euro missiles, there was also a treaty on conventional weapons, measures were taken to avoid incidents and conflicts. Today there is nothing else, and tomorrow Russia may declare that it will build Euro missiles capable of striking the whole of Europe as before. Such a situation is unacceptable,” Le Drian said.
The French minister also drew attention to NATO’s decision to engage in discussions on arms control.
“That is, Europe will be involved”, – Le Drian stressed. “Otherwise,” he remarked, – “such agreements could have been adopted without us. Although they affect us directly. Europe is a potential theatre of action. The head of the French diplomatic office said.”