French and Russian Presidents propose annual tripartite summit with Germany

The Presidents of Russia and France, Boris Yeltsin and Jacques Chirac, have been discussing steps to deepen their co-operation and to enhance their relations with Germany.

In a statement issued after a telephone conversation with Mr Chirac, President Yeltsin's office said the two leaders had outlined plans to invite the German Chancellor, Helmut Kohl, for what would be a historic three-way summit, to be held in the next few months.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service