Relations with France are a foreign policy priority for Russia.
Russia inherited a well-developed relationship with France (Diplomatic relations between the USSR and France were established on October 28, 1924). On February 7, 1992 Russia and France signed a treaty confirming the two countries' desire to develop "relations based on trust, solidarity and cooperation." Since then, Russia and France have signed more than 70 agreements and protocols on different areas of cooperation.
Bilateral political dialogue has been intensive and confidential.
French President Nicholas Sarkozy made his first visit to Russia in October of 2007 and met with the then President Vladimir Putin. In May 2008 Prime Minister Putin met with Sarkozy and French Prime Minister François Fillon.
This year President Dmitry Medvedev and Sarkozy met at the G20 summits in London and Pittsburgh on April 2 and September 25, respectively, the G8 summit in L'Aquila from July 8 to 10, at the UN General Assembly from September 23 to 24 and on the sidelines of the celebrations of the 20th anniversary of the downfall of the Berlin Wall on November 9.
Last September Fillon took part in the international conference on the modern state and security in Yaroslavl and had bilateral meetings with Medvedev and Putin.
Russian and French foreign ministers regularly meet during visits or at international forums.
By decision of the presidents of the two countries, on July 8, 2002 the Russian and French foreign ministers issued a joint statement on establishing a bilateral council on security cooperation, which would involve the foreign and defense ministers of both countries. The first session of the council took place on November 15, 2002 in Paris and the eighth in October of 2009 in Moscow. At the Moscow session, representatives from the two countries discussed the European security architecture within the Russian initiative for a new security treaty, Russian-EU partnership, joint efforts to combat global piracy, the situation in Afghanistan and North Korea, the Iranian nuclear program and other pressing international issues.
Russia and France are steadily developing parliamentary contacts. The Grand Russian-French Inter-Parliamentary Commission headed by the chairmen of the lower chambers of both parliaments remains active. It had its 14th meeting from April 8 to 10 of this year in Moscow.
Long-standing bilateral cultural contacts are also strong. A basic agreement on inter-parliamentary cooperation was signed on February 6, 1992, and in December of 2004 the two countries signed an intergovernmental agreement on the study of Russian in France and French in Russia. On February 2, 2007 Paris played host to the third meeting of the bilateral commission on cultural cooperation.
Next year has been declared the Year of Russia in France and a Year of France in Russia. On November 6 of this year the two countries agreed on the program of events for their year-long celebrations of the other's culture. On November 27, 2009 the two countries were planning to sign a joint declaration to this effect at the 14th meeting of the Russian-French Commission on Bilateral Cooperation at the level of heads of government.
The two countries signed a statement on the Year of Russia in France and a Year of France in Russia in November 2007. The joint organizing committee regularly met in France and Russia. At the most recent meeting in early November in Paris, the committee agreed on an eventful program for this purpose.
In effect, this project has already started because both countries have already declared days of Russia and France in Le Bourget and during the MAKS aerospace salon. These events, in particular the very successful presentation of the Super Jet-100, have become tangible evidence of promising cooperation between the two countries in the aircraft industry.
Despite the financial crisis and relevant budget restrictions, the programs of the Year of Russia in France and a Year of France in Russia include many various events. The two countries have planned about 130 cultural events alone (concerts, exhibitions, etc.). The most important events are the exhibition "Sacred Russia" in the Louvre Museum, guest performances by Comédie-Française in seven Russian cities and the celebration of the Day of Russia on June 12 in Paris with the opening of the Russian national exhibition, the concert of French music on Vassilyevsky Spusk in Moscow (during the Moscow City Days on September 4 and 5 of the next year), and the show "The Art of Living à la Française" in Moscow's Manege (next October) will mark the celebrations of both Years. The grand finale of the Year of Russia in France and a Year of France in Russia will be a gala concert of the stars of Russian and French ballet in the Bolshoi Theater next December.