More than 70 world leaders come to France to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the end of World War I
The Russian and American presidents, the German chancellor and dozens of other world leaders are in Paris, France, to attend the symbolic ceremony.
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French President Emmanuel Macron and US President Donald Trump at the Élysée Palace in Paris on November 10. Photo: AP |
French President Emmanuel Macron and 70 world leaders will attend a ceremony today to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the signing of the armistice that ended World War I at the Arc de Triomphe on the Champs Élysée in central Paris.Reutersreport
US President Donald Trump, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Russian President Vladimir Putin were among the leaders attending the event, which took place before noon.
In the afternoon, President Macron will preside over the opening ceremony of the Paris Peace Forum, organized to promote multilateral approaches to security and governance issues with the ultimate goal of preventing the mistakes that led to World War I in 1918. President Trump, who advocates pursuing an "America First" policy, will not attend the forum.
The US leader said he would not meet bilaterally with his Russian counterpart in Paris. Trump and Putin are expected to have formal discussions later this month when they attend the G20 summit in Buenos Aires.
The French president and German chancellor attended a symbolic ceremony yesterday in the forest of Rethondes, near the city of Compiegne, 60 km north of Paris. The two leaders unveiled a commemorative plaque at the site where the armistice was signed, ending a war that killed 18 million people.
