The 70th anniversary of Operation Overlord will be marked in Normandy, France, on June 6. Heads of the Allies were invited to the event: Queen Elizabeth II, Presidents Barack Obama and Vladimir Putin. German Chancellor Angela Merkel will partake in the celebrations. In a telephone conversation with French President Francois Hollande, the Russian president confirmed that he will attend the anniversary on June 6.
Chantal Guittet, a member of the National Assembly, the president of the France-Russia friendship group, a member of the committee for foreign affairs, emphasized the importance of the event for her people and the significance of Vladimir Putin joining: “For us, the French, June 6 is a very important date. The Russian president and heads of other states were invited for this reason. It is a commemoration day when we share memories about the historic event that helped France become free. On this day, we recall all nations, including Russia, that took part in the war, all the people who died for the values we share, they are freedom, protection of human rights and territorial integrity. This is why the arrival of the Russian president, Mr. Putin, and heads of other states that were together with us, protecting us from Nazism and liberating France, is so important for the French. This is the first moment and it is important to emphasize it.
In her speech, Chantal Guittet noted that the arrival of Vladimir Putin on June 6 would be important for a settlement of the conflict around Ukraine: “We, the French, have always backed attempts to find diplomatic solutions to resolve the crisis, settle it through dialogue. And we think it is important to use this opportunity to discuss the problem with President Putin and the new Ukrainian president who will attend the event too. The presidents had bilateral meetings with President of the French Republic Francois Hollande.”
Chantal Guittet expressed the following position: “We have a different reading and vision of the events. We are no doubt happy that the Ukrainian people have managed to vote and make their choice, unlike the eastern part of the country where the elections failed. Now, the elected president and Ukrainians themselves should decide their future with the help of all partners willing to help Ukraine overcome the crisis,” she emphasized.
Lyubov Glebova, a member of the Russian Federation Council Committee for International Affairs, commented on the upcoming visit of Vladimir Putin to France: “We need to make up our mind on how close the assessments of the ruling elite, people and different societies are on this issue, what intentions the ruling politicians and executive authorities have. It must be taken into account that the historic context of relations between our countries [Russia and France], between our peoples demands a very caring, close attention to the situation today. The history of our relations on the level of cultural ties, the level of any format of human relations, is such that it does not allow and should not allow modern politicians to form our relations radically or fast.
Regarding expectations from the upcoming bilateral meeting of Vladimir Putin and Francois Hollande, Lyubov Glebov assumes that marking the anniversary of such an important event for both states should benefit their opportunities for a productive dialogue: “What we expect from the visit of our president in the context of such an important historic event for Russia, France and other states is a serious discussion of the current situation, taking into account the fact that life has different periods, but the wisdom of politicians is to consider the lessons of history when developing policy today. In my opinion, the upcoming visit is a very important event in the history of our relations. The meeting will allow us to evaluate the situation in the context of what we have in common in history and this day,” she said.
The 70th anniversary of Operation Overlord in Normandy will become a platform to discuss international affairsThe 70th anniversary of Operation Overlord will be marked in Normandy, France, on June 6. Heads of the Allies were invited to the event: Queen Elizabeth II, Presidents Barack Obama and Vladimir Putin. German Chancellor Angela Merkel will partake in the celebrations. In a telephone conversation with French President Francois Hollande, the Russian president confirmed that he will attend the anniversary on June 6.Chantal Guittet, a member of the National Assembly, the president of the France-Russia friendship group, a member of the committee for foreign affairs, emphasized the importance of the event for her people and the significance of Vladimir Putin joining: “For us, the French, June 6 is a very important date. The Russian president and heads of other states were invited for this reason. It is a commemoration day when we share memories about the historic event that helped France become free. On this day, we recall all nations, including Russia, that took part in the war, all the people who died for the values we share, they are freedom, protection of human rights and territorial integrity. This is why the arrival of the Russian president, Mr. Putin, and heads of other states that were together with us, protecting us from Nazism and liberating France, is so important for the French. This is the first moment and it is important to emphasize it.In her speech, Chantal Guittet noted that the arrival of Vladimir Putin on June 6 would be important for a settlement of the conflict around Ukraine: “We, the French, have always backed attempts to find diplomatic solutions to resolve the crisis, settle it through dialogue. And we think it is important to use this opportunity to discuss the problem with President Putin and the new Ukrainian president who will attend the event too. The presidents had bilateral meetings with President of the French Republic Francois Hollande.”Chantal Guittet expressed the following position: “We have a different reading and vision of the events. We are no doubt happy that the Ukrainian people have managed to vote and make their choice, unlike the eastern part of the country where the elections failed. Now, the elected president and Ukrainians themselves should decide their future with the help of all partners willing to help Ukraine overcome the crisis,” she emphasized.Lyubov Glebova, a member of the Russian Federation Council Committee for International Affairs, commented on the upcoming visit of Vladimir Putin to France: “We need to make up our mind on how close the assessments of the ruling elite, people and different societies are on this issue, what intentions the ruling politicians and executive authorities have. It must be taken into account that the historic context of relations between our countries [Russia and France], between our peoples demands a very caring, close attention to the situation today. The history of our relations on the level of cultural ties, the level of any format of human relations, is such that it does not allow and should not allow modern politicians to form our relations radically or fast.Regarding expectations from the upcoming bilateral meeting of Vladimir Putin and Francois Hollande, Lyubov Glebov assumes that marking the anniversary of such an important event for both states should benefit their opportunities for a productive dialogue: “What we expect from the visit of our president in the context of such an important historic event for Russia, France and other states is a serious discussion of the current situation, taking into account the fact that life has different periods, but the wisdom of politicians is to consider the lessons of history when developing policy today. In my opinion, the upcoming visit is a very important event in the history of our relations. The meeting will allow us to evaluate the situation in the context of what we have in common in history and this day,” she sa
