Russia and France: New Levels of Cooperation

Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, Deputy Prime Minister Sergei Ivanov and Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov are spending two days in Paris shortly after Moscow and Paris signed a deal for Russia to purchase two French Mistral-class amphibious assault ships. The Mistral deal is only the beginning of increased cooperation between Russia and France in the areas of energy, military modernization and cooperation in space. Russia wants Western expertise as it moves forward with its modernization and privatization plans, while France wants to make sure it is not left out as Moscow and Berlin grow closer.