Q: Yesterday, the Russian President's press secretary, Dmitry Peskov, expressed hope that negotiations on security guarantees could begin in January. Is France aware of Russian proposals relating to that issue? In your opinion, can our countries reach a consensus under the Russian initiative? Could negotiations begin in January?
A: We are aware of the Russian proposals and we are working closely with our allies and partners to analyze them. As we have said regularly, a rigorous dialogue is necessary with Russia to strengthen Europe's strategic stability and security. Europeans must be fully involved in this dialogue, which affects their security interests. We therefore support the NATO secretary-general's proposal to hold talks within the NATO-Russia Council in January.