France and Germany are looking to maintain dialogue with Russia, especially in areas of mutual interest, the Franco-German Council of Ministers, which includes both countries' cabinets, said in a statement on Monday.
The two countries underlined willingness to uphold the dialogue with Moscow "on the common principles of European Union," in order to bolster the cooperation in the "areas of mutual interest."
The statement also pinpointed points of divergence between the EU and Russia, citing Moscow's "repeated violations of international law" and other "destabilizing activities" as a call for a "firm response."
