- Title: Macron to receive Russia's Putin at palace of Versailles
- Date: 27th May 2017
- Summary: PARIS, FRANCE (FILE - OCTOBER 2, 2015) (REUTERS) RUSSIAN PRESIDENT, VLADIMIR PUTIN, ARRIVING AT ELYSEE PRESIDENTIAL PALACE AND GREETING THEN FRENCH PRESIDENT, FRANCOIS HOLLANDE
- 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: LVA0026IM56X3
- 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: FILE REUTERS (CAN SELL)
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