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Funeral service for Jacques Chirac begins in Paris

Thousands of Parisians have gathered near the church several hours before the foreign delegations’ arrival to pay tribute to the politician

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Past and current heads of states have gathered in Paris to pay tribute to former French leader Jacques Chirac, who passed away on September 26. Photo: The coffin of former French President Jacques Chirac leaves Invalides monument in Paris

© AP Photo/Thibault Camus

French President Emmanuel Macron passing the honor guard at Invalides monument in Paris

© AP Photo/Thibault Camus

Members of the Republican Guard line up in the Invalides monument courtyard in Paris

© AP Photo/Thibault Camus

The body of former French president Jacques Chirac is carried out of the Invalides monument in Paris

© AP Photo/Thibault Camus

People watching the service on TV screens outside Saint Sulpice Church in Paris

© AP Photo/Michel Euler

Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri and former US President Bill Clinton are seen at the Saint Sulpice church in Paris

© AP Photo/Francois Mori, Pool

Guests attending late French President Jacques Chirac's funeral service at the Saint Sulpice church in Paris

© AP Photo/Francois Mori, Pool

Former French President Valery Giscard d'Estaing, his wife Anne-Aymone Giscard d'Estaing, former President Nicolas Sarkozy, his wife Carla Bruni-Sarkozy and former President Francois Hollande at Saint Sulpice church in Paris

© AP Photo/Francois Mori, Pool

Archbishop of Paris Michel Aupetit was leading the memorial service

© AP Photo/Francois Mori, Pool

Russian President Vladimir Putin is seen at Saint Sulpice church in Paris

© AP Photo/Francois Mori, Pool

A crowd waiting outside Saint Sulpice church during late French President Jacques Chirac's final service in Paris

© AP Photo/Francois Mori, Pool

PARIS, September 30. /TASS/. Funeral service for former French leader Jacques Chirac, who passed away on September 26, has begun on Monday afternoon at the Church of Saint-Sulpice in Paris.

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French President Emmanuel Macron, Russian President Vladimir Putin and other world leaders are attending the memorial service along with the relatives of Chirac. Former French leaders Nicolas Sarkozy, Francois Hollande and Valery Giscard d'Estaing are also in attendance.

Thousands of Parisians have gathered near the church several hours before the foreign delegations’ arrival to Saint-Sulpice to pay tribute to the renowned politician. The coffin, draped in the French flag, was carried into the church by officers of the French Republican Guard.

Archbishop of Paris Michel Aupetit is leading the memorial service. He welcomed the foreign leaders who came to honor the memory of Chirac. The archbishop expressed his condolences to the former leader’s widow Bernadette Chirac, who was unable to attend the ceremony for health reasons.

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