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During the conversation, the two leaders had a detailed discussion of the situation in and around Syria. The President of France was briefed on Russia’s efforts to put an end to the bloodshed by encouraging dialogue between the parties in the Syrian conflict and promoting democratic transformation in Syria.

On Nicolas Sarkozy’s request, Dmitry Medvedev briefed the French leader on the results of the talks that Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Foreign Intelligence Service Director Mikhail Fradkov had on his instruction with President of Syria Bashar al-Assad and other members of the Syrian leadership in Damascus on February 7, 2012. During the meeting, the Russian side stated that Moscow is ready to continue its intermediary efforts, but at the same time it finds any continuation of bloodshed unacceptable.

In the context of the uneasy work that is underway to settle the Syrian crisis, including in the UN Security Council, Dmitry Medvedev called on his partners to avoid any hasty unilateral decisions. The President of Russia emphasised that the international community’s position must be objective and fair.

The presidents of Russia and France also discussed current issues of the two nations’ multifaceted bilateral relations in priority areas of cooperation such as business and trade, science and technology, and humanitarian sphere.

The conversation was initiated by the French side.