Official website of the President of Russia

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President of Russia Vladimir Putin: Mr President, colleagues,

Thank you for taking the time to make a brief stop in Moscow on your way back home, as we agreed in Australia, and discuss the problems, which we are facing today and which we need to resolve.

We are very happy to see you. Welcome!

President of France Francois Hollande (retranslated): Mr President, thank you for the welcome.

I was just flying over Moscow when I decided to make a stop here to discuss with you the important issues concerning the Ukrainian crisis and the problems it is causing to the people of Ukraine, to the European Union and to Russia itself.

We need to continue the discussion we started with you within the framework of the G20. I believe that Russia and France both want to do this, and on June 6, we spoke of the need to look for solutions together, to work hand in hand. We discussed this with Ms Merkel, and we believe that Russia and France can find the necessary solutions.

Vladimir Putin: Mr President, you were the initiator of the meeting in Normandy in order to solve the problems you just mentioned. These are complicated problems, but the discussion we have in this respect is nevertheless yielding positive results, and I am sure that your today’s visit, even though it’s a very brief one, totally working, will definitely contribute to resolving many of the problems.

Francois Hollande: I would like to thank you for finding the time to meet with me today. I know it was not planned in advance and I understand that we have very little time.

I heard your address several hours ago and I think that we need to get rid of the barriers and walls that might divide us. I believe we can do that.

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