‘We all watched with tears in our eyes’ as Notre Dame burnt – Putin

The inferno which engulfed the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris was a hard sight to witness, Vladimir Putin has told French businessmen in the Kremlin. Russian companies are eager to join reconstruction efforts, he added.

"We’re all sorry. We all watched this with tears in our eyes,” the president said as he described his reaction, and that of many Russians, as the blaze struck in the heart of the French capital on Monday.

Notre Dame is not just a symbol of France, but a symbol of the whole of European civilization, Putin pointed out as he met with the top managers from Total, Reno, Auchan and some other major French businesses in the Kremlin.

French President Emmanuel Macron has pledged to rebuild the devastated Notre Dame within the next five years. The Russian leader expressed confidence that those plans will be fulfilled and made assurances that Russian companies, which have interests in France, were ready to help with the reconstruction of the landmark.

Putin earlier expressed his condolences to Macron over the blaze, offering to send “the best Russian experts with experience in restoring monuments of cultural heritage” to assist with rebuilding.

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