Macron to visit Russia despite diplomatic spat

French President Emmanuel Macron will visit Russia in May despite differences revolving around a former Russian agent's poisoning, Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said on Thursday.

"For the moment, the trip is planned," Le Drian told RTL radio.

At the invitation of Russian President Vladimir Putin, Macron is scheduled to participate in the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum being held from May 24-26, Xinhua news agency reported.

"We must have a frank dialogue with Russia. We want to maintain it, but it is a dialogue on which we need a lot of clarity," Le Drian said.

Earlier this week, France asked four Russian diplomats to leave the country within a week in response to former Russian agent Sergei Skripal's poisoning in Britain.

On March 4, Skripal and his daughter Yulia were found unconscious on a bench in a shopping centre in the southern city of Salisbury.

Macron's office said on March 15 that France agreed with Britain that Russia was responsible for the poisoning. Russia, however, has denied any involvement in the poisoning incident.

--IANS

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