PARIS: French Defense Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian will travel to Moscow for talks with Russian officials Sunday and Monday to coordinate efforts to defeat ISIS extremists, his office announced.
"On Dec.20 and 21 Mr Le Drian will go to Russia to discuss coordination in the fight against Daesh (an Arabic acronym for ISIS), defense ministry spokesman Pierre Bayle told a press conference Thursday.
The minister's visit is "part of international efforts to reinforce the coalition against Daesh," he added.
After last month's deadly attacks in Paris and the October downing of a Russian plane in Egypt, claimed by ISIS, French President Francois Hollande and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin agreed to unprecedented cooperation of their forces in Syria in the battle against the extremist group.