The crisis in Ukraine is a limiting factor that has shifted into the background, the development of relations between Russia and France, said state Duma speaker Sergei Naryshkin at a meeting with French parliamentarians.

Naryshkin on Thursday met with a delegation of the French Parliament headed by co-chair of the Association Franco-Russian dialogue ", people's Deputy of the National Assembly Thierry Mariani. After negotiations, the French deputies have plans to go to the Crimea, where he will visit Yalta, Simferopol and Sevastopol will hold a series of meetings with the local leadership.

"We consider France as one of the leading partners of Russia not only in the EU But also in the world. But, unfortunately, We must say that today, the limiting factor is the deepest Crisis in Ukraine, which on the back burner pushed the development of bilateral relations between countries and peoples ", - Naryshkin said.

the Ministry of foreign Affairs of Ukraine considered the visit of French parliamentarians in Crimea " a lack of respect towards the sovereignty of Ukraine and conscious violation of the law of Ukraine ". The French foreign Ministry called the planned trip by the failures of international law.

Crimea became a Russian region After the March 2014 referendum in which a Large number of residents, do not recognise the legitimacy of the February coup in Ukraine, voted for joining the Russian Federation. In the capital of Russia notice that the referendum in Crimea complies with international law and the UN Charter.

sections: Politics