Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin met with his French counterpart Francois Fillon in Paris on Thursday and denied allegations about encroachments on human rights in Russia.

It was Putin's first high-profile visit abroad as Russia's prime minister.

"Concerns about the lack of human rights in Russia are strongly exaggerated. And in general, this theme is an instrument for pressure on Russia, with the aim of reaching some goals that have nothing to do with human rights in Russia."

His comments came as the European Court of Human Rights on Thursday ordered Russia to pay more than 550-thousand US dollars to victims of Russian armed raids in Chechnya.

Meanwhile, Fillon said France was in no position to teach Russia lessons regarding human rights.

"We don't give any lesson to anybody because we are not in the same situation. We don't have the same history and everybody deals with its own history and its culture. What is important is to be in a dynamic of progress and it seems to us that we indeed are, in the case of Russia."

Russia came under heavy criticism during Putin's eight years in office for failing to protect freedom of expression, peaceful assembly and non-governmental organizations