Shafaq News/ Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris is set to reopen on Saturday, following extensive restoration efforts hailed by French President Emmanuel Macron as a “workshop of the century.”
The ceremony will be attended by US President-elect Donald Trump and 40 other heads of state and government.
President Macron will deliver a speech from the cathedral’s courtyard, which has undergone years of reconstruction since the devastating fire on April 15, 2019. Following his address, the cathedral will host a religious ceremony, according to Agence France-Presse.
Macron is also scheduled to attend a mass at the iconic landmark on Sunday. He previously described the restoration project as an unparalleled achievement.
Notre Dame, a UNESCO World Heritage site, is one of the largest Gothic cathedrals in the world and remains a top tourist attraction in Europe.
The 2019 fire destroyed much of the cathedral, including its spire, which was originally designed by 19th-century architect Eugène Viollet-le-Duc. Images of the blaze, broadcast live, evoked a profound emotional response worldwide.
Possible Meeting Between Zelenskiy and Trump
An unnamed Ukrainian official told AFP on Friday that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and US President-elect Donald Trump may meet in Paris during the reopening ceremony. This would mark their first meeting since Trump’s re-election.
Trump, who has vowed to secure a ceasefire in the Russia-Ukraine war within 24 hours, has raised concerns over his potential approach, with critics fearing he may pressure Ukraine into accepting peace on Russian terms.
The Ukrainian official noted that "additional meetings, particularly with President-elect Trump, are also likely during the visit."