Moscow, Sep 7 (IANS): Russia and France will hold a discussion on key global issues during a meeting of their defence and foreign ministers Wednesday, RIA Novosti reported.

The ministers will focus on bilateral cooperation with the emphasis on European security and missile defence, Iranian nuclear programme, the situation in Libya and Syria, said Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman Alexander Lukashevich.

The Russian-French Security Cooperation Council will be held in Moscow in a two-plus-two format for the 10th time since its creation in 2002. The members of the Council will meet with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev.

The spokesman said the current political instability in the Middle East and North Africa raises many questions, and the sides will attempt to come up with an "optimal recipe" to deal with the crisis of this nature.

"We are certain that the contacts between the Russian and French ministers in Moscow and their talks with the Russian president will bolster bilateral strategic partnership," Lukashevich said.