Russia, France to discuss global security in Moscow

Russia and France will discuss key issues on the global agenda during a meeting of defense and foreign ministers on Wednesday, a Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman said. The Russian-French Security Cooperation Council will be held in Moscow in a two-plus-two format for the 10th time since its creation in 2002. The members of the Council will meet with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev. Alexander Lukashevich said the ministers will focus on bilateral cooperation with the emphasis on European security and missile defense, Iranian nuclear program, the situation in Libya and Syria. The diplomat said the current political instability in the Middle East and North Africa raises many questions, and the sides will attempt to come up with an "optimal recipe" to deal with the crises of this nature. "We are certain that the contacts between the Russian and French ministers in Moscow and their talks with the Russian president will bolster bilateral strategic partnership," Lukashevich said.