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France not to seek sanctions on Russia at EU summit

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2008-08-25 21:03

PARIS - France will not seek to impose sanctions against Russia over the current Russia-Georgia conflict at the European Union summit scheduled for Monday in Brussels, French media cited a source from the Elysee as saying.

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"We are now in dialogue with Moscow, not in the phase of sanctions," the source was quoted by AFP as saying on Friday. Time for sanctions "is certainly not coming," it said.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy, whose country is now holding the rotating presidency of the European Union, called a special summit in Brussels to discuss the Russia-Georgia crisis and the future relationship between Russia and the EU.

Some member states of the EU had prompted to impose sanctions on Russia.

On Thursday, French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner said in a statement that "France's position (on Russia) as President of the Council of European Union was to achieve a common position throughout the European Union."