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France to invite Russia to events marking 80th anniversary of Normandy invasion

Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov, in turn, said that Russian President Vladimir Putin has not yet received an official invitation

PARIS, April 16. /TASS/. France will extend an invitation to Russia to participate in the June 6 ceremony dedicated to the 80th anniversary of the Normandy invasion during World War II, the Europe 1 radio station reported.

According to it, the invitation will be sent through diplomatic channels.

Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov, in turn, said that Russian President Vladimir Putin has not yet received an official invitation.

"No, there have been no invitations yet," the spokesman said when asked if Putin had received an invitation.

Commenting on the Europe 1 radio station report, Peskov said that he did not know "what formed the basis of this report, whether it is official information or just bogus rumors." "We have not received anything official on this matter," the spokesman reiterated.

Russian President Vladimir Putin took part in a ceremony dedicated to the 70th anniversary of the invasion in 2014. During the ceremony, then French President Francois Hollande said that the people of the Soviet Union made a decisive contribution to the victory of the Allies in World War II, and this will never be forgotten. He paid tribute to the bravery of the Red Army, which faced 150 German divisions and was able to fight back and defeat them.

Commemorative events of the Normandy invasion on June 6, 1944, which marked the opening of the second front in Western Europe, are held every five years with the participation of foreign leaders and veterans. In 2004, Russian President Vladimir Putin attended the ceremonies along with Tony Blair, Gerhard Schroder, Jacques Chirac, George W. Bush and eleven other world leaders.

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