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Putin always keeps Russian ice-cream handy for Xi — Kremlin spokesman

Speaking about the menu for the upcoming state dinner, due at the Palace of Facets on Tuesday, Dmitry Peskov promised "traditional Russian cuisine"

MOSCOW, March 20. /TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin always keeps Russian ice-cream ready for his guest China’s President Xi Jinping, Russian Presidential Spokesman Dmitry Peskov has said.

"For sure," Peskov replied to the question whether in Moscow the Chinese leader would be treated to Russian ice-cream.

"Ice-cream is always ready. Xi loves it," Peskov said.

Speaking about the menu for the upcoming state dinner, due at the Palace of Facets on Tuesday, the Kremlin spokesman promised "traditional Russian cuisine."

He added that a special cultural program was also ready. Peskov did not go into details, offering to wait for the event.

A few years ago, at the Eastern Economic Forum, Chinese businessmen told Putin that Russian ice cream was a real hit in their country. On his next visit to Beijing in 2016 Putin brought Xi ice cream as a gift.

"I brought it, because President Xi had mentioned once that he loves Russian ice cream, so I’ve brought some as a present. We exchange some little things with him," Putin explained then. In 2019, when both leaders participated in the Conference on Interaction and Confidence-Building Measures in Asia in Dushanbe, Putin paid a brief visit to Xi’s residence and presented him with a birthday gift - a boxful of ice-cream bars.