LOC10:58
07:58 GMT
PARIS, March 18 (KUNA) -- France has decided to cancel a ministerial-level
meeting with Russian government members in Moscow, Tuesday, because of the
ongoing crisis over Crimea and Ukraine, Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius
said.
Fabius and Defence Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian were due to travel later
today to the Russian capital as part of the "2+2" annual process, whereby
Foreign and Defence Ministers from both nations meet for talks.
Fabius said on "Europe 1" radio that the meeting was not cancelled but
"postponed" and France did not want to give the wrong message to Russia by
going there at this time.
He said relations were very tense because of the absorption into Russia of
the Crimea region which formally belongs to Ukraine.
Fabius also noted that Russia's participation in the powerful Group of
Eight (G 8) meetings has been suspended.
The G8 includes the United States, France, Britain, Canada, Japan, Germany
and Italy. Fabius said that consultations were now going on in the older
format of the G7, which existed before Russia was asked to join.
The Foreign Minister also repeated that France would consider suspending
lucrative military contracts with Russia only if sanctions were expanded at "a
general level."
He said the government here would seek to protect jobs in the French
shipyards, where two huge naval transports of the "Mistral" class are being
built for the Russian navy.
Fabius indicated that other countries would also have to make sacrifices if
France was to forgo the Mistral contracts.
The EU on Monday voted to place 21 Russians and Ukrainians under sanctions
such as asset freezes and travel restrictions. The US at the same time placed
similar restrictions on 11 individuals involved in the Crimea annexation or
with links to the Russian State. (end)
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KUNA 181058 Mar 14NNNN