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French movie star Depardieu supports Putin’s plans for presidential race

Earlier in the day, Putin announced his plans to run for Russia's president next year

© EPA/ARNO BURGI

MOSCOW, December 6. /TASS/. French movie star Gerard Depardieu, a citizen of Russia since 2013, believes that President Vladimir Putin, who has announced his plans to run for president in 2018, is the most suitable candidate for the job.

He told TASS the topic of the elections was one of the many things Putin and Depardieu touched upon in a telephone conversation several days ago.

"Vladimir Putin and I spoke over the phone a couple of days ago and he told me about the plans to join the presidential race," Depardieu said. "I think he is just the right kind of man that Russia needs."

Read also

Putin announces bid for 2018 Russian presidential race

Gerard Depardieu, 68, is a veteran of the French film industry. He has appeared in about 200 films since the start of his career, including a Russian-French film about Grigori Rasputin.

Depardieu has also played a number of parts that brought him the Golden Globe and prizes at the Geneva and Moscow film festivals.

In 2013, he received Russian citizenship. It was also then that Vladimir Putin received the actor at the presidential residence in Sochi.

Putin said that he had granted Russian citizenship to Depardieu because the actor had done a lot for the Russian culture, for instance, by releasing the film about Rasputin.

Putin believes Depardieu’s oeuvre "is the kind of work that relates to the entire Russian movie industry and the entire Russian culture."

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