Vladimir Putin had a telephone conversation with President-elect of France Francois Hollande.
The President of Russia congratulated Mr Hollande on his convincing victory in the presidential election. Mr Hollande congratulated Mr Putin on his inauguration as President of the Russian Federation.
The two leaders gave a high assessment of Russian-French relations and noted the constructive cooperation in bilateral ties and in the main multilateral organisations on the key issues on the international agenda.
Both sides expressed firm commitment to continue developing Russian-French relations, which both countries see as a priority.
Mr Putin and Mr Hollande agreed to stay in regular contact through multilateral forums and through visits to each other.
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Mr Putin also telephoned President of France Nicolas Sarkozy and thanked him sincerely for their many years of constructive cooperation.
