schools buying for it weapons but what's more it's buying made to mildred acknowledges this has been strongly opposed by the french military like the diplomats everyone. thank you for being with us on the show good morning thank you thank you well first question is about is about the past actually when sarkozy was elected in two thousand and seven he was considered to be in atlanta just like a pro us politicians and their way expectations that the relations of france with russia may have probably be facing problems but these predictions were wrong the relations are pretty good today and so a new a new set of expectations is being is being born today because we're facing elections a new election cycle both in france and russia so do you expect any changes

that may. influence the current positive trend in the relations between russia and from zero i don't expect any change whatever the result yeah i don't expect you to write to remind sarkozy was seen as a natural. two thousand and seven and that was a turning point you know and it's fairly soon regarding russia of i think it is mainly related to the war in georgia in two thousand and eight and also very good personal relations with medvedev but. to put things in the you know in the broader picture i think there is a tradition of quite good relations between paris and mosco and to some extent you know psychoses pretty serious russia can be compared to chirac's policy regarding russia as well and that's why my my my may conclusion would be to say that i don't expect any change in tradition. over the next french president is what you're good

at your own optimists good to be well moskos relations with the natives have been have been ups and downs the but in the last couple of years they have been improving to an end and we see that and there will witnessing like a sort of a new phase new level of cooperation between russia and nato however there is one thing between russian nato russia and all the nato countries which is still growing misunderstanding concerning this nuclear umbrella nuclear shields is this american analysis of nato nato program program of installing the anti a missile defense. russia wants proof show us why we shouldn't be afraid nature says we'll just take it for granted book do you think that nato the west has to to to show such to give some

proof to russia. that russia will not be be worried look at russia moscow i think political class players for first of all i think it's very important to remind all bad was the relationship between russia in a toe in the summer two thousand and eight with the war in georgia and i think that's really the turning point and says since about time we had some positive evolution as was certainly a change of stance in russian leadership probably due to the crisis and the impact of the crisis and also the research approach promoted by president obama and since that time definitely we can observe an improvement between nato and nato and russia having said that it's i share your views about you know. defense problem which is at the same time very complicated in military terms but it is

a real strategy problems and i think that it's it should be seen as a part of a much more global strategy and for both russia and nato so a key question is do we consider the main difference between us or do we consider that the main frets outside us this is one way to say i was a little this is this is against an outside threat but it doesn't seem the west has arguments to to convince must still being harsh i know i know pretty well that there is a strong debate within the russian elites and between your political leadership and your military leadership of this very. difficult and sensitive issue having said that i think it's very important also to understand that nato and carraige russia to join. and i think it's a long process because it's very complicated it definitely it would be a big change in the positioning of russia on the international scene if russia i decided to join nato and with. how to use

a system do you think that the contacts between military between generals between between politicians in charge of military affairs are a good thing in establishing trust in in stopping to look at each other as potential enemies definitely it's important you know and but i think it's not something very new we have or we have this tradition of changes definitely i would say once again it's a parts of the picture it's very important for both militaries to interact on a consistent basis but i the same time i think it should be seen in something broader we've political contacts we've called to all contacts and solved definitively is the idea for for the west and especially for for for for europe is to say that. russia should be engaged we know that it's

a very important partner it's not all the time an easy partner no doubt about that but definitely very decided that russia should be engaged. after the recent visit of the russian defense minister to france it became obvious that for us is becoming the number one russian partner in military cooperation in europe among native countries at least was it a difficult decision for the french to start selling. military equipment worth billions to to russia i don't think it was a difficult decision to tell business just i don't. think it is for you sell and their craft carrier to the russians you must sell their day. to your own people was it ari yeah i think it's more complicated because they are also part of the debate we've been a russian establishment as you know. possible to chase i think it's i don't know if

it's number one i would say that clearly if you observe the relation between russia and europe in the number one is a germany now we know that germany is less exposed to refers than friends of the u.k. given also the difficult relations sometimes between london and moscow certainly there is a space for for for for for most who else again we have a good tradition of formation between both countries but regarding you know if he serves obviously there was some concerns expressed by nato of a statement was especially by the states or so by a country such as a jump on other same time i think it should be seen first of all you know deal because over european countries can make any sort of selves so it's commercial or commercial approach because it but also obviously it is presented as a way to transform the relation between nato and russia you mentioned the baltic

states you mentioned japan which is the later when let's talk a bit about the the position of other nato countries except the baltic maybe the old they were countries and also the united states what was there and what is their approach to this increasing military cooperation. well of course they're not happy that other buying it. i think it maybe they're not happy but i think to be on their spots not at all the top priority for the u.s. in the situation right now i think if you see the u.s. strategy right now you know number one is certainly afghanistan iran the raising of china and to some extent sorry to to to to to put it bluntly but russia is not a top priority at all for washington where. now so i think said that i'm not so sure that you appeaser top priority as well so a problem for russia and for europe is a reason to be marginalized you know on the international scene and from this point

of view everything that can make a whole push more you know between europe russia and to some extent europe russia and the us it can be seen as a positive step. will i have heard a line a commentary and other opinions here in moscow that that russia actually does need these mistrials there it's a political deal rather than purely economic as you call it how much of strategic interests aside of purely economic interest does france have in this deal . if it's not interesting for military terms for the russian navy that's interesting because that means that the russian navy sufficiently rich to to to buy something without any any use so i think there is an interest to be honest but who will see for friends what's very important in the industry or terms not up about that and because it's a way to to give job through to some walkers soul but that's one reason they say

going to reason is this idea that the evolution the transformation of nato is very important and that russia should not be seen as a revolver but should be seen as a partner and so again a difficult partner but it is seen as paris as a country with. which it's possible to make some strategy convergence on different issues not on all of these issues but on the different visions says tom our government head of the russia and i has said it had the french institute of international relations spotlight will be back shortly after a break we'll continue this including fellow don't go stay where you are.

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network home schooling top to acknowledge your picks. in the future covered. welcome back to spotlight and i'm now going off in just a reminder of my guest on the show today is tamago man head of the russia and i asked center at the french institute of international relations how much we've been talking about about this deal of selling to how the comp the carriers to to to move the treat naval vessels to russia well when i said that the russians are not really interested they don't really need mr el ships actually when people say we don't need the ships this is not right we maybe we don't need the ships themselves but

the russians badly need the technology which comes with the ships and this is supposedly what the russian navy is after so all the french your opinion ready to to shed a technology related with the materials as you probably know that's a part of the negotiation fortunately i'm not i'm not expelled the it's very difficult for me to to explain to users of in itself politically definitely varies a debate about should we transfer technologies you know towards or there was russia and you have a debate to be to be honest in france and not only in france in nato countries but on the deal itself unfortunately i have no insights on this particular part ok so. let's switch the subject now a little and talk about one of the one of the favorite stories of the french press and in the recent couple of week which of the strikes kind of and

a wonderful a wonderful rumor around this trance kind of further well of course people say that it was initiated by obama so other people say it was initiated by sarkozy be. because because of poor company but some people in france said that it was all done on an order of leaden reputed if you know that. well where does that come from i mean this is bizarre is it's coming from a french p i'm not strong. it was seen as a put in the sort of russian plots my explanation is very very simple you know all the stuff is absolutely amazing and the media coverage of itself in france is much more than surprising for i would say real professional journalists. there is something completely irrational. in france and so there is also a tendency to see plot everywhere to explain what happened so one day it's

a russian plods over there it's an american blogs the other day it's something organized by it to be honest open bets. is so complicated and definitely impact dramatically russian the mystic story russian french politics that it's it's not very important to to comment on the sort of the question from my point of view ok. france today is advocating the military campaign against gadhafi in libya advocating the un resolutions against bashar is as a regime in syria well that is a political fact russia russian diplomacy is much more cautious dealing with these issues do you think that this is because of some disagreements that exist between moscow and paris and could they have a negative impact on relations these specific burning issues which are priorities for for nato the future i think it's important to remind.

obviously the fights you know in libya its various friends but it is. we've been a toll and especially with a strong cooperation between paris and london at the beginning of the process and obviously the u.s. support was military very important to make the operation and to respect the result . which was there was peace abstention of russia for resolution now there are some criticize coming from russia against you know the way of operating and the fact that. we have monday to given by the resolution was not so so so so large so definitely it is. a sensitive issue between paris and most coup i think there is a debates you know in the russian leadership as well because we know that president medvedev in their view was close to. wisdom the got the parts in the framework of

the g. eight and it was same time we listen very carefully to criticize expiries very prim prime minister put in so very certainly different approaches also in russia about what is going on in libya now the other question is about syria and obviously for four it's a very important country for the stability of the region and also in the russian diplomacy because well quite intensive links between. us and most school and also very serious question that should we stay and do nothing given you know the evolution of the syrian regime and or what is made you know against the syrian population to be honest i have no no real answer to a very difficult question ok another question since the end of the ninety's i think especially on the eve of the of the iraq war there was much talk

and much rumors about creation of a possible political strategic triangle of france germany and russia is this still alive are these are these ideas still of make any sense today. that's a good question i think there is a continuation because you're right to say that vis triangle was in fact against the war in iraq we've put in the shoulder and shark about simon and there is a continuation i think in the framework of the relation between the you and russia decided that paris berlin and the school should converge on different topics i think said arts are so or so an evolution of germany to be honest we have now a very very strong relationship between berlin and most school and obviously we are also obvious abstention of berlin you know for the intervention in libya so to some

extent i think doubts maybe it can be a way to some of things but we can see quite good relation between paris and berlin regarding you but also very good relation between paris and london regarding nato issues and to some extent i think that's a many evolution by comparison with the triangle you mention in two thousand and three. russia is one of the largest markets for european vegetables i'm talking about of course about the cucumbers well these eco carli bacteria nobody knows yet where it comes from first it was cucumber is that it was area now people say that russia has closed its borders for a european or there is there was and this causing controversy of course in europe among farmers and stuff do you see such measures such radical moves you know actual moves by russia for example as as. sort of and willingness.

to tackle bilateral issues in a more positive way so so there are problems in relations if we if we look at practical steps ugly. yes but you know i walk a lot on this issue of u.s. show relations and it strikes me to see that regularly we have the sort of problems we mined for instance two thousand and six ends of the troubles between poland and russia for for importing feelings i think it's something which should be avoided no doubts it should be avoided because as you know the u.n. russia are supposed to settle new agreements between the between them to. trade relations for me it's. you know it's it was a neutral the decision i don't i don't think it was the most smart one to do to be honest but had the same time it's i would say business as usual ok business

actually this is not business is business unusual and we would talk about it in iraq so you're right but my point is to say don't i think we should not of areas to mate is important of this. decision i do or that's a relation will become a small as usual business as usual is selling russian gas to europe only this is a reuters and. as usual in russia as you know dreaming of getting the greater access to european markets european consumers actually we want the russians want an equal status to the book project and the and the south stream project do you think the russians will ever get that equal status. it's i don't want to to make some prediction on that spits definitely ideas. in

europe willing koreans and especially after you know the change of position of germany on the nuclear feels very recent decision and definitely very idea. russia is a not too old supply for for for for gas and to some extent of this relationship does exist and in may view will be extended in the coming decades i have absolutely no doctor about that now a bird's a different project as you know the project we've got is coming from should we take some gas in turkmenistan for transco suspension we take some guys in iran and so on sol stream projects they are they are you know very often presented as completed those projects the basic fact is that for both. and both sorry for both wash i envy you definitely there is a need to foster energy cooperation in the next decade so i'm pretty optimistic about the ability to find

a proper way to to shoot to sure you up and market in the coming years rostering the corporation russian companies they still feel barriers they talk with people come here at the this table speak about barriers that they face have to overcome in europe doing business do you think that do you think that europe is ready is ready for concessions on this issue i don't think so yeah but i think it's not a negotiation even self also again it should be put in a broader picture and it is related to the negotiation of vision it is related to the negotiation of commercial conditions and energy is a very important parts of the gelug between russia and the you should not be resumed to energy relations it's something much more broadly and as you know very. we've been z. you about the so-called unburdening. idea that a company wants to invest should respect this legislation so hans again i think

it's difficult but i'm pretty optimistic about the ability of both sides to cooperate in the future thank you thank you very much and just to remind you that my guest on the show today was tom are going to head the russian and high has center had french institute of international relations and that's it for now from all of us if you want to have your say on spotlight or if you have someone in mind you think i'm interested in amsterdam they drop me a line i'll bring out an ad r.t. t.v. dot are you let's keep spotlight interact we'll be back with more comments from what's going on in and outside russia until then stay on our team and take. notes.

h. . you stand to lose me. everything you still see losing. everything was in a gold mine tragedy in northwest russia as a passenger plane crashes onto a highway killing forty four people early reports suggest pilot error and bad weather are to blame. at least fifteen more civilians killed as nato bombers miss a top gadhafi aide but instead hit the birthday party of his four year old grandson . and showdown in the greek parliament the pm savage's new austerity cuts face a no confidence vote athens on the brink of becoming the first euro zone nation to default.

my from our studios in central moscow you're watching archie with me and he said now way our top story officials say bad weather and pilot error are the likely causes of a plane crash which killed forty four people and left eight injured in northwest russia on sunday night the bruce air flight on route from moscow to pet them crashed onto a road just one kilometer from its destination our correspondent tess are silly is in the city of perth where the tragedy happened. right here at the scene you can still see behind me the emergency services so they are still picking up parts of the plane that we saw earlier well from what we know the early reports that we know the a plane was. from moscow to. the northwest of the country and if you can see behind me there's a road it had landed perpendicular to the road it was on its way to it's the airport which is to my left it's about two kilometers to the left very close and

right behind right beside this road rather are homes residential homes which luckily were not hit. in terms of survivors recent reports we have five of those survivors already in moscow to be treated for their injuries but three of them are still in very critical condition and will be staying here at local hospitals for the time being now there were also for foreigners on board there was one. as well as to ukraine as a family of four with a dual citizenship u.s. citizenship now of the first on the scene right now is very busy but the first on the scene because it happened just before midnight local time just before eight first on the scene where witnesses and they did try those who could try to save as many people as they can. three people. i could not sell which was launched and then the man was haunt to see was dark and there was a man who was in the how he was long.