Putin congratulates President Chirac on Bastille Day

Russian President Vladimir Putin has sent congratulations to French President Jacques Chirac on the occasion of a French national holiday - Bastille Day, the Kremlin press-service reported.

In his message the Russian head of state notes that the great French revolution remains an epoch-making event in history.

"The people of France are marking the 215th anniversary of the great revolution in a year of some outstanding dates - the 60th anniversary of the landing of Allied troops in Normandy and the liberation of Paris from the German occupation," says the document.

The Russian president also pointed to the coincidence of Russian and French approaches to a search for settlement of sensitive international issues, to coordination of efforts by all states within the European space and also to shared positions in the struggle against international terrorism.

Putin also expressed his conviction that joint efforts will be able to raise many-sided Russian-French cooperation to a new level, and help expand further the traditionally close ties in economics, the humanitarian sphere, science and culture.