MOSCOW, November 17. /TASS/. France and Russia will pool their efforts to counter terrorism, French Ambassador to Russian Jean-Maurice Ripert said on Tuesday. "We are thankful to the Russian people and the Russian authorities for the empathy and solidarity they have expressed to France in this tragic moment," he told journalists. "Russia and France are determined to continue joint anti-terror efforts and to fight for the victory of freedom."

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov wrote on Tuesday in the Book of Condolence at the French embassy in Moscow that vile plans of the Islamic State must be stopped. "On behalf of the Russian authorities I express most sincere condolences over the terrible terror attacks in Paris on November 13," he wrote. "Vile plans of the Islamic State must be stopped. Our grief, our anger will help us to step over all nonessential things and unite Russia, France and all countries in inexorable fight against terrorism, to form a really global combat coalition," Lavrov emphasized. "We advanced a relevant proposal at the United Nations General Assembly and the Security Council in September and are ready for immediate implementation."

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French MPs call for stepping up counter-terrorism cooperation with Russia Senior Russian lawmaker Leonid Slutsky on Tuesday said deputies of the National Assembly of France have called for stepping up counter-terrorism cooperation with Russia. Slutsky is the head of the Committee on CIS Affairs, Eurasian Integration and Ties with Compatriots at the State Duma (lower house of Russia’s parliament), as well as the coordinator of the parliamentary Friendship Group with the French parliament. "We communicate every day with the deputies of the French National Assembly, including those who have visited Crimea this summer. So, these people at an extraordinary session of the National Assembly of France yesterday attended by the President of the French Republic, said that it is necessary to immediately step up anti-terrorism cooperation with Russia," he said. According to Slutsky, after the monstrous terrorist attacks in Paris it is necessary to create a real, not declarative anti-terrorist coalition. "There has been no coalitional opposition in today’s Europe recently, while it is needed and Russia has such experience," the parliamentarian said. "The hysteria for the distortion of Russian realities stirred up by Washington among the countries of Western Europe has given a negative feedback and urged them to develop cooperation with us in countering the terrorist threat."