MOSCOW. April 14 (Interfax) - State Duma Chairman Sergei Naryshkin has called for dialogue between Russia and France to continue.
"We invariably see France as one of our leading foreign partners and are constantly interested in what is going on there," Naryshkin said at a meeting with European Parliament member and National Front Party leader Marine Le Pin on Saturday.
The Russian-French relations are experiencing difficulties "due to the Russophobic, anti-Russian campaign" launched by certain European countries, the lower house chairman said.
"But we are firmly confident that this partnership between our two countries should be preserved in the interests of both France and Russia," Naryshkin said.
For her part, Le Pin said she supports Russia's position on ways of exiting the crisis in Ukraine.
"I believe that the decision on referendum in Ukraine and federalism is the wisest and most balanced. The idea of federalism would enable the (Ukrainian) regions to have broad autonomy and decide their future on their own," the French MEP said.
At the same time, to resolve the crisis all Ukrainian parties involved must sit down at the table of negotiations so as to prevent the negative impact of extremists.
"I hope various European countries will find wise paths to agree with Russia," Le Pin added.