France wants EU partnership deal with Russia - French foreign minister Kouchner

Forbes.  PARIS (Thomson Financial) - France hopes to reach agreement on a broad EU strategic partnership with Russia during its six-month presidency of the European Union later this year, Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner said.

'We are very much determined to make a strategic partnership with Russia one of the objectives of the French presidency,' said Kouchner during a joint news conference with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov.

France takes the helm of the 27-nation European Union in July, with ambitious plans to advance the bloc's agenda on security and other issues.

Kouchner stressed that while the European Union and Russia could have divergent views on issues such as the independence of the Serbian province of Kosovo, they could still cooperate.

Ties with Russia have also been strained over Moscow's assertive energy policy and questions over the Kremlin's commitment to democracy and human rights.

Making his first visit to Paris since the election of Dmitry Medvedev to the Russian presidency, Lavrov said Moscow was hoping for a stronger Franco-Russian relationship.

Lavrov added it was important that the European Union and Russia have 'as soon as possible a legal basis for cooperation', noting that Russia had already reached such an agreement with NATO.