French President Macron to host Russia’s Putin at Versailles palace

May 22, 2017 at 10:47

French President Emmanuel Macron will host Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin for talks at the Versailles palace on May 29, the French presidency said on Monday.

The meeting has been arranged to coincide with an exhibition from 30 May to 24 September 2017 on the visit of Russian Tsar Peter the Great to France in 1717.

It will mark 300 years since the Russian Tsar’s trip to France and there will be a special exhibition in the Palace’s Grand Trianon.

The exhibition is in partnership with the world-famous State Hermitage Museum in St Petersburg and the Palace of Versailles, it will contain paintings, sculpture, books and engravings, some of which are from the Tsar’s personal collection.

France's youngest president

Macron, France's youngest ever president, won a resounding victory over far-right leader Marine Le Pen in an election on 7 May that was watched worldwide.

The new president faces a host of daunting challenges including tackling stubbornly high unemployment, fighting Islamist-inspired violence and healing divisions exposed by an often vicious election campaign.

(FRANCE 24 with AFP)