France Hopes for Strong Relations with Russia 　　Visiting French Foreign Minister Hubert Vedrine said in Moscow Monday that French-Russian relations should remain a strong permanent element of European and international relations. 　　In an interview with the Izvestia newspaper, Vedrine said that making preparations for the coming visit to Paris by the Russian President Boris Yeltsin is one of the aims of his visit. 　　Yeltsin will visit France late this month, Vedrine said, noting that personal contacts between the French and Russian presidents continue to play an important role in the development of bilateral ties. 　　 　　 WorldNews 1999-01-13 Page6