It was an informal meeting.
At the beginning of their conversation the Russian head of state referred to France as one of Russia’s priority partners. Vladimir Putin noted the frequency of the two countries’ contacts.
In turn, the President of France thanked Mr Putin for the invitation to come to Moscow.
After a short discussion, during which the interlocutors switched to the informal “you”, the two heads of state travelled to dinner in a car driven by Vladimir Putin.
This is the second meeting between the two countries’ leaders following the French presidential elections in May 2007. Vladimir Putin and Nicolas Sarkozy met for the first time in June during the G8 summit in Heiligendamm.
See also
Beginning of Meeting with French President Nicholas Sarkozy
October 9, 2007