Media: Putin to make an unexpected visit to Paris
Russian President Vladimir Putin will make an unplanned visit to Paris, during which he will meet with the new French President Emmanuel Macron, Russian news outlet Kommersant reports, citing a high-ranking source in the Kremlin and informed sources in Paris.
The reason for the visit will be the opening of an exhibition on Peter I in Versailles.
The exhibition in Versailles coincides with the 300th anniversary of the Russian Tsar’s visit to France and the establishing of bilateral diplomatic relations between the two countries – it will be held at the Grand Trianon château and will last until the end of September.
A source in the Kremlin specified that “the agenda of the visit will be intense” and will not be limited to the commemorative event in Versailles.
According to the publication’s source in Paris, “it’s hard to imagine that Putin would go to France without acquiring agreement to meet and become acquainted with the new president (Emmanuel Macron)”.
Putin’s press secretary Dmitry Peskov has neither confirmed nor denied the information on Putin’s plans to visit France, TASS writes.
“We will make an announcement in due time,” Peskov said, commenting on Kommersant’s information.
As was reported, Macron spoke on the phone with Putin on May 18. According to the information on the Kremlin’s website, the two presidents discussed the fight against terrorism, work in the Normandy Format framework, as well as the possibility of future personal contact.