French President Emmanuel Macron was scheduled to discuss Iran, Syria and Ukraine with Russian President Vladimir Putin during a meeting in Moscow on Sunday, a source at the French president’s office said, Reuters reported.
Macron, who was due in the Russian capital to attend the soccer World Cup final between France and Croatia, was expected to meet with Putin at the Kremlin, according to the report.
On Iran, Macron urged US President Donald Trump in vain earlier this year not to pull out of an international deal that eased sanctions against Tehran in return for curbs on its nuclear program.
French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire told Le Figaro in a recent interview that the United States had rejected a French request for waivers for its companies operating in Iran that Paris sought after Trump decided in May to reimpose sanctions on the Islamic Republic.
Paris had singled out key areas where it expected either exemptions or extended wind-down periods for French companies, including energy, banking, pharmaceuticals and automotive.
Le Maire said Europe needed to react quickly and protect its economic sovereignty, noting, “Europe must provide itself with the tools it needs to defend itself against extra-territorial sanctions.”
In a message to Macron on the occasion of France’s national day on Saturday, President Hassan Rouhani called for further cooperation between Tehran and Paris on bilateral, regional and international issues.
