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The US president-elect says he will visit Paris for a “very special day” to celebrate the restoration of the fire-damaged cathedral.
Donald Trump has announced he will attend the reopening of Notre-Dame, the Paris landmark ravaged by fire five years ago, in his first trip abroad since winning the US presidential election.
The Gothic masterpiece of the 12th century, which was badly damaged by fire in 2019, it is planned to reopen its doors to visitors and the Catholic faithful on Saturday and Sunday.
Dozens of world leaders are expected to attend the opening of the restaurantwhich French President Emmanuel Macron has compared to healing a “national wound”.
“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 said. in a post on his Truth Social platform on Monday.
“President Emmanuel Macron has done a wonderful job ensuring that Notre Dame has been restored to its former glory, and more. It will be a very special day for all!”
During his first term in office, Trump intervened in the Notre Dame fire images of the fire were broadcast live around the world, suggesting that “flying water tankers” could be deployed to douse the flames.
“You need to act fast!” Trump said on Twitter, X’s former name.
French authorities rejected the suggestion, saying the use of water-bombing planes could cause “the whole structure of the cathedral” to collapse.
Trump and Macron have had one complicated relationship.
Macron was one of the first world leaders to congratulate Trump on his re-election and was the guest of honor at the former president’s first state dinner.
But the two leaders also clashed over Trump’s skepticism over moves by NATO and France to raise taxes on US tech giants.
The restoration of Notre-Dame was made possible with 846 million euros ($887.4 million) in donations provided by some 340,000 donors from 150 countries.
The five-year effort, which involved some 250 companies and hundreds of experts, had an estimated cost of nearly 700 million euros ($734.3 million).
Restoration chief Philippe Jost told a press conference last month that surplus donations of about 140 million euros ($147 million) would be used for future preservation efforts.
