- Title: RUSSIA: FRANCE'S NATIONAL FRONT LEADER LE PEN ARRIVES IN MOSCOW
- Date: 9th February 1996
- Summary: MOSCOW, RUSSIA (FEBRUARY 9, 1996) (RTV - ACCESS ALL) 1. SV DOORS OF VIP ENTRANCE IN SHEREMETEVO AIRPORT BEING OPENED, FRENCH ULTRA-NATIONALIST LEADER JEAN-MARIE LE PEN WALKS IN 0.11 2. SV JOURNALISTS AT PRESS CONFERENCE 0.14 3. SCU LE PEN SOT (FRENCH) "OUR PARTIES HAVE A LOT IN COMMON. THERE ARE A LOT OF DIFFERENCES, OF COURSE. BUT BOTH PARTIES PREACH THE SAME NATIONALIST AND PATRIOTIC PHILOSOPHY." 0.36 4. SV CUTAWAY PRESS. 0.40 5. SCU LE PEN SOT (FRENCH) "WE WOULD COOPERATE WITH RUSSIA EVEN CLOSER IF ZHIRINOVSKY WINS PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS." 1.07 6. SV LE PEN LEAVING THE AIRPORT, MOTORCADE DRIVING OFF (2 SHOTS) 1.23 7. SV/LV ZHIRINOVSKY SAYING "LE PEN AND I ARE READY TO MEET EACH OTHER FOR INFORMAL TALKS ON SUBJECTS SUCH AS OUR NATION'S ECONOMIES, DEMOCRACIES, CULTURES" (RUSSIAN) (2 SHOTS) 1.47 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved.
- Embargoed: 24th February 1996 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: MOSCOW, RUSSIA
- City:
- Country: Russia
- Reuters ID: LVA6A5W5N2IZ9A2TRZVDM75TY6WK
- Story Text: France's ultra-right National Front leader Jean-Marie Le Pen arrived in Moscow on Friday (February 9) to attend a lavish silver wedding celebration for his Russian counterpart Vladimir Zhirinovsky this weekend.
Although the invitation is personal, and according to National Front spokesmen Le Pen's visit has "nothing to do with the party", both men will give a joint press conference in Moscow on Saturday.
"Our parties have a lot in common", Le Pen told reporters at the airport. "There are a lot of differences, of course, but both parties preach the same nationalist and patriotic philosophy." However, Le Pen's National Front, the second largest nationalist movement in Europe next to Austrian Joerg Haider's Freedom Party, has no formal links with Zhirinovsky's Liberal Democratic Party of Russia (LDPR).
A fiery orator who laces his tirades against corruption in French politics with racial innuendo and sarcasm, Le Pen nonetheless appears staid and mature on the campaign trail compared to the unpredictable Zhirinovsky.
"I am glad to be in Russia, our traditional ally, which I hope we will cooperate with in the future, especially after Zhirinovsky wins presidential elections in June" Le Pen said.
At the press-conference in the State Duma on Friday Zhirinovsky called Le Pen the "second French politician after Chirac" (French President Jacques Chirac). Zhirinovski confirmed that Le Pen will attend his widely advertised wedding.
Zhirinovsky planned to turn the 25th anniversary of his marriage on Sunday into a a sumptuous festival with plenty of vodka, food and fireworks.
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