PARIS: French President Emmanuel Macron is confident of progress in key areas with Russia, including notably the crisis in Libya, his office said on Friday after a video conference between the two leaders.

"Macron is confident that we can make progress with Russia on a number of subjects," a senior French presidential official told reporters, citing "a common interest in the stabilisation of Libya and the reunification of its institutions."

Macron has in recent months pursued a policy of rapprochement with Russia, reaching out to Putin over key areas of disagreement such as Ukraine, in an approach that has discomforted some EU allies.