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US President-elect Trump set to travel to France for Notre Dame Cathedral reopening

President-elect Trump’s visit to Paris will be his first foreign trip since winning the US presidential election

NEW YORK, December 3. /TASS/. US President-elect Donald Trump announced that he would arrive in the French capital this Saturday to attend the opening ceremony of the restored Notre Dame Cathedral of Paris.

"It is an honor to announce that I will be traveling to Paris, France, on Saturday to attend the reopening of the Magnificent and Historic Notre Dame Cathedral, which has been fully restored after a devastating fire five years ago," Trump stated in his account on Truth Social web platform.

French daily Le Parisien reported that Trump earlier opted against attending the opening ceremony of the cathedral. President-elect Trump’s visit to Paris will be his first foreign trip since winning the US presidential election in November.

Trump defeated Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris in the November 5 election. In addition, the Republicans managed to take control of the Senate. They may also win a majority in the House of Representatives. Trump's inauguration will take place on January 20, 2025.

"[French] President Emmanuel Macron has done a wonderful job ensuring that Notre Dame has been restored to its full level of glory, and even more so. It will be a very special day for all!" Trump added in his post on the Truth Social network.

Fire in the Cathedral of Notre Dame de Paris

The fire at Notre Dame occurred on the evening of April 15, 2019, in the area of the spire, hours before scheduled renovations were set to take place. Anne Hidalgo, whose office windows in the capital's City Hall overlook the cathedral, was the first to notice the fire. She was the one who alerted emergency services.

The flames completely destroyed the wooden roof and the spire, which fell and burned to the floor of the cathedral. The fire was not fully extinguished until the following morning. It lasted for more than 15 hours.

French President Emmanuel Macron ordered the restoration of Notre Dame shortly after the emergency.

The foundation stone of the Notre Dame de Paris Cathedral was laid in 1163. For centuries, Notre Dame has been a symbol of Paris. It is included in UNESCO's list of World Heritage Sites.

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