Marine Le Pen seeks to strengthen Russian-French relations

Leader of the French opposition party, National Front, Marine Le Pen said she sought to strengthen relations with Russia. Opening the meeting with Le Pen on Wednesday, Russian State Duma speaker Sergei Naryshkin said: “This was your first trip to Russia in such format. The agenda is rather vast and includes meetings with the parliamentarians, political scientists, representatives of public organisations, the youth, cultural figures, and the clergy. Le Pen will also visit St Petersburg.” Naryshkin confirmed that Russia “considers France one of the leading partners in Europe and in the world”. “We watch the development of the political situation in France and the reforms that the new government is carrying out. Sometimes the French society treats them in a different way. In the meantime, we seek to watch the processes and draw our own conclusions,” the Duma speaker said. “We also observe the activity and the policy of the National Front under your leadership. You rivet more attention to the protection of genuine and social interests of the population. You fight unemployment to attract the state’s attention to social welfare,” Naryshkin said. He praised the development of inter-parliamentary relations with France. Le Pen said this visit was very important. “I want to strengthen relations between France and Russia,” she said. “In the political aspect, I’m doing my best to make France to be on its own,” she added. “I’m proud of that I’m a citizen of France. I’m proud of the French culture and I continue fighting for being France a united state,” Le Pen stressed. “I know that Russia keeps its identity and its soul. I’m glad of what has happened in France - we also try to keep our identity,” Le Pen pointed out.