MOSCOW, September 27. /TASS/: Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov did not rule out that President Vladimir Putin may take part in a farewell service for France’s late President Jacques Chirac, although no final decision on this matter has been taken as of yet.
"If the president takes this decision, we will inform you," he told journalists on Friday. "The French colleagues are now discussing details of the service and so forth. So far, no clear procedure has been agreed, it will be done later in the day. The president will take a decision depending on that."
BFM TV said earlier on Friday citing Chirac’s family, Chirac, who died on Thursday at the age of 86, will be buried in the Montparnasse Cemetery in Paris in a private ceremony.
Meanwhile, the Europe 1 radio station said the farewell service would be held in Paris’ Church of Saint-Sulpice. It is expected to be attended by French President Emmanuel Macron and a number of former and incumbent leaders of other states. The farewell service will take place in front of Les Invalides in Paris’ 7th arrondissement at noon on Sunday, as decided by the family.
Jacques Chirac passed away on September 26 at the age of 86. He served as France's president from 1995 to 2007 and retired from politics after his second office.
Putin and Chirac had several meetings, both when they were their countries’ leaders and after Chirac vacated presidential office and used to call each other by the first name. "I have always believed in the Russian people under your leadership," Chirac once said in a conversation with Putin.
In his interview with the Financial Times in June, Putin called Chirac a true intellectual, a very interesting and balanced person.
In 2008, when he was Russian Prime Minister, Putin noted that the former president of France felt warmly about Russia and knew it profoundly. "I share his views that not only the past, but also the future of Russia and Europe, Russia and France, can and must play a sizable role in global affairs, and this is what unites us," Putin said.
