VERSAILLES. May 30 (Interfax) - Things that unite Russia and France in the Syrian issue provide an opportunity to intensify cooperation on it, Russian President Vladimir Putin said.
"As is known, France contributes to the fight against terrorism in Syria as part of the international coalition led by the United States. We are not aware how independent France is in addressing the issues of an operational nature, because those are agreements between the allies and they don't disclose them to us," Putin said at a press conference following French-Russian negotiations on Monday.
"But, I believe, another thing is more important, it is important that during today's negotiations we understood that we evaluate many things roughly the same, we evaluate many things from the same points, however, there are some disagreements," the Russian president said.
"But things that unite us give us reasons to believe that we are not only capable of intensifying, but also qualitatively improving cooperation. That's what I hope for," Putin said.
French President Emmanuel Macron, for his part, said that cooperation with Russia on the Syrian issue is already ongoing and will continue.
"It is essential. This was the decision I made. I told President Putin that I would want us to cooperate on this issue very closely. We have a priority, which is a common one; it is the fight against terrorism. This is an absolute, fundamental priority, above all else," Macron said.
"We must not allow the collapse of the Syrian state and the deterioration of the situation in the region," he said.
"There are two red lines here, one must be adamant about the use of chemical weapons and about ensuring humanitarian access of civilians. I want to win the war against terrorists in Syria and I would want us to establish a stable peace in Syria together, and we will work jointly," Macron said.