ST. PETERSBURG, Russia, June 19 (Xinhua) -- Russia and Europe could share a common security plan rather than build up defense against each other, French President Nicolas Sarkozy said here Saturday.

"The idea that Russia should protect itself from Europe and that Europe should protect itself from Russia is a thing from the far past," Sarkozy said at the International Economic Forum here, quoted by the RIA Novosti news agency.

"We must believe that we are fighting against the same threats," he said, adding that Europe and Russia must jointly fight terrorism and mafia.

"A new organization that would unite Europe and Russia on a large-scale economic space is needed," where people are allowed to move freely and we could jointly organize our security, in particular using the suggestions that were made by President (Dmitry) Medvedev," Sarkozy said.

Medvedev announced his initiative to draw up a new pan-European security pact in May 2008, and the first draft was presented by the Kremlin in November 2009. It received responses from more than 20 governments.