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Jean-Pierre Chevènement, the special representative of France for Russia, who is
working for closer ties between the two Countries, convinced that the special
relationship which unites them is due to deep cultural affinities.
Jean-Pierre CHEVÈNEMENT,
the special representative of France for Russia
©DR
‘Russia has started to move
forward again’
RUSSIA - FRANCE
Y
ou are a former minister and the
special representative of France
for Russia. What is your view of
bilateral trading relations?
Trading relations between France
and Russia, which had reached a
plateau in 2014/2015, have started to
rise again (French exports to Russia
were 5.5 billion euros in 2017, while
Russian exports to France were 7.5
billion euros), despite a contraction,
which is above all due to falling oil
prices. The investment flows of
France to Russia never stopped. The
stock of French investments in
Russia exceeds 18 billion euros.
Among the companies in the CAC 40
index, thirty-five are present in
Russia. Six hundred French compa-
nies do business there.
The French presence is particularly
strong in the energy, automobile,
aeronautics and pharmaceuticals
sectors. French companies that do
business in Russia employ nearly
167,000 people.
After the official visit of President
Macron to Saint Petersburg on 24 and
25 May 2018, our relations should
experience a new boom, in line with
the political will that has been
expressed on both sides.
You have visited Russia many times,
especially Moscow but also Siberia,
for the inauguration of the Yamal gas
facilities. How do you understand the
role that was entrusted to you? What
do you focus on?
My role is that of a facilitator. But
I remain above all a politician and as
such I express myself totally inde-
pendently. The lifting of the European
sanctions that were imposed in 2014
is within reach. It will accompany the
implementation of the Minsk agree-
ments.
This was delayed by a certain slow-
ness on the Ukrainian side in voting a
decentralization law whose applica-
tion should take place at the same
time as the peacekeeping operation,
which will make it possible to secure
the elections
(1)
.
Of course, the return to security is a
prerequisite. But I am optimistic: the
future of Europe cannot be held up
due to an ongoing conflict, even if it is
‘frozen’.
There are obviously other issues that
I focus on, especially concerning the
financing of our exports and our
investments and welcoming Russian
investments in France.
Many French companies have been in
Russia for a long time. How can they
develop their activities, especially
small andmedium-sized companies?
In which sectors could they succeed?
Russia has undertaken an enormous
effort of economic diversification.
Small and medium-sized French
companies can find many niches in
nuclear generation and also in the
agri-food industries and automobile
subcontracting. In this field Russia is
likely to become the number one
market in Europe. It is necessary to
organize missions of French compa-
nies such as the one that I participa-
ted in for nuclear generation in
Moscow and Nigiri Novgorod in 2015.
How do you see the development of
Franco-Russian trading relations?
Relations between Europe and
Russia will improve in the new inter-
national context.
The financing of our investments
in Russia is still difficult due the
extreme timidity of our banks to do
business in Russia, due to the sanc-
tions that are based on the extrater-
ritoriality of American law. The
President of France is committed to
finding solutions for substitution.
The President of France wishes our
relations to be normalized. A recent
F r a n c o - R u s s i a n
Economic, Financial,
Industrial and Trade
Council (CEFIC) mee-
t i n g wa s h e l d i n
Moscow in the presen-
ce of Bruno Le Maire,
the French Minister of
Finance.
Naturally, not every-
thing can come from
the State. Companies must be invol-
ved in the Russian market. Moscow is
only three hours from Paris and for
people like me who visit Russian
cities, the impression is striking:
Russia has started to move forward
again. The Russian people aspire to
prosperity and France wishes to
assist them in this, in line with the
tradition of Franco-Russian friends-
hip.
©DR
(1) This interview has been realised at he begining of 2018.
Bruno Lemaire.
