- Title: Macron to receive Russia's Putin at palace of Versailles
- Date: 27th May 2017
- Summary: VERSAILLES, FRANCE (MAY 26, 2017) (REUTERS) EXTERIOR OF THE PALACE OF VERSAILLES FRENCH FLAGS FLYING ARCADES AT ENTRANCE OF THE GRAND TRIANON PEOPLE ENTERING THE GRAND TRIANON GRAND TRIANON GARDEN PEOPLE WALKING IN GARDEN LAKE IN GARDEN VISITORS CYCLING PAINTING OF RUSSIAN TSAR, PETER THE GREAT, AT ENTRANCE OF EXHIBITION "PETER THE GREAT, A TSAR IN FRANCE, 1717" INSIDE GRAND TRIANON PAINTING OF PETER THE GREAT VARIOUS OF CURATOR OF PALACE OF VERSAILLES AND EXHIBITION, GWENOLA FIRMIN, BEING INTERVIEWED (SOUNDBITE) (French) CURATOR OF PALACE OF VERSAILLES AND EXHIBITION, GWENOLA FIRMIN, SAYING: "The exhibition opens with a large portrait of Peter the Great and we become aware of this tsar in an almost physical manner I would say because he measured 2.04 metres (6.7 feet) and we have a life-size portrait." FIRMIN BEING INTERVIEWED / PAINTING OF PETER THE GREAT PORTRAIT OF PETER'S SECOND WIFE AND TSARINA, CATHERINE THE FIRST, NEXT TO PORTRAIT OF PETER THE GREAT FACE OF PETER THE GREAT VARIOUS OF SUMMER SUIT THAT BELONGED TO PETER THE GREAT VARIOUS OF PETER THE GREAT'S CHEMIST TOOLS (SOUNDBITE) (French) CURATOR OF PALACE OF VERSAILLES AND EXHIBITION, GWENOLA FIRMIN, SAYING: "We imagined a journey (through the exhibition) in eight chapters. The first two chapters tell of this tsar, who he was... And then we get to the heart of the subject, meaning his interests in France. So, he also came for diplomatic reasons of course, he wanted to meet the regent, as we under the regency (at the time) and he wanted to meet King Louis XV who was only seven years old." BOOKS DISPLAYED IN GLASS CASE / TAPESTRY DEPICTING A SCENE FROM THE NEW TESTAMENT VARIOUS OF BRONZE BUST OF PETER THE GREAT WITH RED FLAG WITH COAT OF ARMS IN BACKGROUND PARIS, FRANCE (MAY 26, 2017) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF RUSSIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH AT FOOT OF EIFFEL TOWER FORMER SPOKESMAN AND ADVISOR TO FORMER SOVIET PRESIDENT MIKHAIL GORBACHEV, ANDREI GRACHEV, SPEAKING TO REPORTER (SOUNDBITE) (English) FORMER SPOKESMAN AND ADVISOR TO FORMER SOVIET PRESIDENT MIKHAIL GORBACHEV, ANDREI GRACHEV, SAYING: "So it's a possibility to open probably a new page, maybe to try to let the others forget about not a very successful event of the recent months when during the French election campaign Putin chose just one candidate out of several for the French presidency. And that happened to be Marine Le Pen." VARIOUS OF GRACHEV SPEAKING
- Embargoed: 10th June 2017 11:19
- Keywords: Peter the Great Versailles Emmanuel Macron Vladimir Putin Russia France
- Location: VERSAILLES & PARIS, FRANCE
- City: VERSAILLES & PARIS, FRANCE
- Country: France
- Topics: Government/Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA0016IM56X3
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: French President Emmanuel Macron will receive Russia's Vladimir Putin at the palace of Versailles outside Paris on Monday (May 29) to inaugurate an exhibition marking 300 years of Franco-Russian diplomatic ties, an opportunity for both leaders to get to know each other, Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov said on Friday (May 26).
The exhibition retraces the steps of Russian Tsar Peter the Great's visit to France in 1717 through 150 works of art, recounting his first meeting with King Louis XV, then seven years old, as well as the desired alliance between Russia and France at the time.
During the French presidential election campaign, Putin granted an audience in Moscow to Macron's far-right opponent, Marine Le Pen, while Macron's campaign manager accused Russia of deploying "fake news" to discredit him. Russia denied that.
After Macron's election victory, Putin, in a change of tack, told him in a congratulatory message that he wanted to put mistrust aside and work with him.
Relations between Paris and Moscow were increasingly strained under former President Francois Hollande with Putin cancelling his last planned visit in October after Hollande said he would see him only for talks on Syria.
The two countries have been at odds on Syria and Moscow's backing of President Bashar al-Assad. France has also been one of the key European Union countries to push for sanctions on Russia over the Ukraine crisis.
Macron backed expanding sanctions against Russia if there was no progress in implementing the long-stalled Minsk peace accords for eastern Ukraine, where Kiev's forces have been battling pro-Russian separatists. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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