Russia and France kicked off on Thursday a new phase in bilateral ties in which President Vladimir Putin and Emmanuel Macron agreed to resume channels of communication that were shut for four years over the Ukraine crisis. Macron had arrived in Russia on Thursday in what local media said was an attempt to “break the ice” with Putin and activate bilateral contacts between Paris and Moscow over pressing international and regional issues, most notably the Iran nuclear file and the crisis in Syria. Macron hailed "direct and frank" talks with Putin after the pair discussed these issues outside Saint Petersburg on Thursday. In a press conference following the leaders wide-ranging first meeting, the French president said he "respected the strengthened role Russia has taken on in the region and in the world, in particular the Middle East". "I expect that Russia will respect also our interests, our sovereignty and that of our European partners," he added. France and Russia want to create a coordination mechanism between world powers to push ahead with finding a political solution in Syria, he continued. Macron said the idea was to coordinate efforts carried out by the Astana process that comprises Russia, Turkey and Iran and the “small group”, which was initiated by France, and comprises Britain, Germany, Jordan, the United States and Saudi Arabia. “We need to be talking about the situation after the war. The key is to build a stable Syria.” Macron said the two agreed that focus should be on a new constitution and setting up inclusive elections that would include all Syrians, including refugees. Macron said the two had discussed France’s hopes to create an international mechanism for attributing responsibility for chemical weapons attacks. Putin made no mention of the initiative. France, together with the United States and Britain conducted a missile attack against the heart of Syria’s chemical weapons program in mid April in retaliation for a poison gas attack a week earlier. The trip is Macrons first to Russia as president and follows a visit by German Chancellor Angela Merkel last week. Europe and Moscow are making diplomatic overtures to save the Iran deal, now under threat after the recent US withdrawal. Putin said during his press conference with Macron that Russia appreciated Europe’s efforts and warned of “lamentable consequences” if it was not preserved. Putin offered some support for the French leader’s plan for negotiating a broader agreement with Tehran to cover Iran’s ballistics program and its activities in the Middle East. “Certainly we can discuss Iran’s ballistic missiles. We can discuss Iran’s policies in the Middle East and its nuclear activities after 2025,” Putin said. “But we cannot make preserving the Iranian nuclear deal dependent on these three parameters because if we do, it means that we too are withdrawing from the accord because the deal that exists foresees no additional conditions.” Trump in early May pulled the United States out of the 2015 pact with Iran that placed limits on its nuclear program in return for easing economic sanctions. His administration has since imposed a series of sanctions on Iranian figures and entities over their terrorism links and destabilizing role in the Middle East. A source close to the Kremlin hailed Macron’s visit as a sign of Washington’s failure to isolate Russia. “European leaders are aware that without Russia, there can be no settlement to any of the regional or international crises,” he explained. He said that Washington’s unilateral measures on the nuclear deal and its relocation of its embassy in Israel to Jerusalem have helped accelerate the launch of Russian-European dialogue. Both sides have common fears of the consequences negative American policies may have on their interests.