France postpones foreign, defence minister talks with Russia

"Given the current circumstances and after an exchange with Russian authorities, the Franco-Russian council on security cooperation has been postponed to a later date," the French foreign ministry said in a statement sent to Reuters. The French delegation was due to travel to Russia on Sept. Germany has concluded he was poisoned with Novichok.

France has postponed bilateral talks with Russia's foreign and defence ministers originally scheduled for next week, the French government said on Tuesday. "Given the current circumstances and after an exchange with Russian authorities, the Franco-Russian council on security cooperation has been postponed to a later date," the French foreign ministry said in a statement sent to Reuters.

The French delegation was due to travel to Russia on Sept. 14. Alexei Navalny, a prominent critic of President Vladimir Putin, was airlifted to Germany last month after collapsing on a flight from the Siberian city of Tomsk to Moscow. Germany has concluded he was poisoned with Novichok.