PARIS (AP) - The Latest on Russian President Vladimir Putin’s visit to France (all times local):
5:30 p.m.
Russian President Vladimir Putin says he and French President Emmanuel Macron have agreed to discuss pursuing closer cooperation on anti-terror efforts.
Putin said after talks with Macron at the Palace of Versailles on Monday that the French leader proposed exchanging official delegations to work toward that goal.
The Russian leader says they also discussed the situation in Syria. Putin underlined the importance of securing the Syrian state, adding that it’s essential for combatting terrorism.
Russia has staunchly backed Syrian President Bashar Assad throughout the conflict, while France has pushed for Assad’s removal from office.
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5:22 p.m.
French President Emmanuel Macron is saying after talks with President Vladimir Putin of Russia that he believes they can work together on Syria and that he wants to forge a reinforced partnership against the Islamic State group.
Macron said he wants a democratic transition in Syria, but not at the cost of the war-torn country becoming a failed state.
After talks with Putin at the Palace of Versailles that ran far longer than planned on Monday, Macron said the use of chemical weapons in Syria was a “red line” for France.
He said that any use of such weapons in Syria would lead to “reprisals” from France - without specifying exactly what form they would take.
Macron said he also spoke to Putin about LGBT rights in Chechnya and about NGOs in Russia.
He vowed to be “constantly vigilant on these issues.”
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4:45 p.m.
Talk about making a statement.
The vast and sumptuous room at the Palace of Versailles, which has been chosen by France to host President Emmanuel Macron’s press conference with Russian President Vladimir Putin, celebrates 14 centuries of French military successes.
At 120 meters long by 13 meters wide (394 feet long by 43 feet wide), the Gallery of Great Battles is Versailles’ largest room.
The martial paintings on its walls are spectacular and breathtaking. They commemorate an array of battles - from Tolbiac, waged by King Clovis in 496, to Wagram, won by Napoleon in 1809.
A gentle reminder in case Putin had forgotten France’s proud past.
Putin flew to France to hold talks with Macron on Monday.
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4:25 p.m.
French far-right leader Marine Le Pen maintains contacts with Moscow after visiting Vladimir Putin in March, but had no plans to meet with the Russian leader or Russian aides during Putin’s visit to France.
Le Pen tweeted ahead of Putin’s meeting on Monday at the Palace of Versailles with French President Emmanuel Macron that she “rejoices that V. Putin is being welcomed to France. Our relations must be normalized.”
The secretary-general of Le Pen’s far-right National Front party, Nicolas Bay, said later that “of course” Le Pen’s contacts with Russia continue and “there is no reason these contacts wouldn’t continue long-term.”
He says they’re “totally distinct from diplomatic contacts” that Macron, the president, now has.
Putin hosted Le Pen at the Kremlin in March, wrongly betting that the nationalist would win France’s May 7 presidential election.
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2:15 p.m.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has arrived in France for talks with newly-elected French President Emmanuel Macron.
Macron greeted Putin with a firm handshake on a red carpet leading into the Palace of Versailles before both men walked inside.
Putin’s trip is likely to shape Russia-France ties for years, with Putin trying to mend strained ties with the West and with Macron after the Russian leader backed Macron’s far-right rival Marine Le Pen.
Putin and Macron will hold a joint news conference after their talks.
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11:40 a.m.
Human rights activists are gathered in Paris to draw attention to the situation of gays in Chechnya before Russian President Vladimir Putin’s visit to France.
The activists want newly-elected French President Emmanuel Macron to discuss the issue with Putin at their Versailles palace meeting. They held a banner “Stop homophobia in Chechnya” at a square in front of the Eiffel Tower.
Amnesty International France vice president Cecile Coudriou says “it’s important that Mr. Putin is ready to hear, we hope, strong words coming from Mr. Macron, to say ’stop’ to that homophobia which has lasted for too long.”
Human Rights Watch said in a new report last week that high-level officials in Russia’s Chechnya humiliated inmates during visits to detention facilities where gay people were allegedly held and tortured.
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8:40 a.m.
On a trip that will likely shape Russia-France ties for years to come, President Vladimir Putin is set to visit France for talks with newly-elected French President Emmanuel Macron after expressing sympathy for his rivals during the campaign.
After Moscow lost its bets in the French vote, the visit offers the Russian leader a chance to turn the page and try to establish ties with Macron as the Kremlin has struggled to mend a bitter rift in relations with the West.
Monday’s meeting comes in the wake of the Group of Seven’s summit over the weekend where relations with Russia were part of the agenda, making Macron the first Western leader to speak to Putin after the talks.
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