Today, the heart of international diplomacy beats in France, celebrating the 80th anniversary of the historic Allied invasion of Normandy.
According to French media, more than a million visitors are expected in the land of Molière by tomorrow.
The international tribute will be paid this afternoon with the presence of all leaders at Omaha Beach, where more than 100,000 soldiers landed on June 6, 1944.
Security measures in the country are draconian, with the host of the events, French President Emmanuel Macron, welcoming official guests with a smile.
Accompanied by his wife Brigitte Macron, the French president arrived at the British Normandy Memorial in the town of Ver-sur-Mer, shortly before midnight local time.
As protocol dictates, the Macron couple was greeted by British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, according to the French network BFMTV.
US President Joe Biden arrived in Normandy today, accompanied by his wife Jill. The presidential aircraft landed at Caen-Carpiquet airport. Biden is one of the 25 heads of state and government attending the D-Day 80th anniversary celebrations in Normandy, as reported by Le Monde newspaper.
According to BFMTV, at the same airport where the American presidential aircraft “Air Force One” landed, Hollywood star Tom Hanks and renowned American director Steven Spielberg were spotted. Both men will be present at the events, as reported by the French network.
British ceremony marking 80th anniversary of D-Day landings takes place at the British Normandy Memorial of Ver-sur-Mer, with Britain’s King Charles and French President Emmanuel Macron expected to attend.#DDay #DDay80 #VersurMer #live #Reuters #news https://t.co/FyxBAWhz8O
— Reuters (@Reuters) June 6, 2024
Today’s events kick off at the British Normandy Memorial in the French town of Ver-sur-Mer.
Only official guests, including the British royal couple, will have access to the British Normandy Memorial.
Prince Charles, representing Britain, will attend the grand ceremony later in the afternoon at Omaha Beach, where leaders from around 25 countries will also be present.
“The events are expected to host between 2,500 to 3,000 guests, including 30 to 40 veterans,” reports the French network BFMTV.
The international ceremony will open with an opening film referencing the historic events. The event will consist of three themes, including readings of texts, letters, songs, and music with memories from the occupation and the historic landing.
Present at the main ceremony, starting around 4:30 PM Greek time, will also be Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, King Charles, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, and Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, who earlier in the morning visited the Naval Group shipyard in Lorient, where the three Greek frigates Belharra are being constructed.
The third thematic event will be a historical retrospective on the building of peace and Europe.
An hour later, the curtain will fall on the international celebration, with a speech by the French president and an aerial display of all types of aircraft from the French Air Force.
Apart from the heads of states and governments, 4,000 people have been invited to the central ceremony.
Within the framework of the celebrations, more than 200 events have been scheduled until Sunday, June 9th, including military vehicle parades, conferences, concerts, exhibitions, etc.
Additionally, camps representing various military forces of the time have been set up along the historic coastlines.
A significant moment of historical memory is the participation of many veterans in the ceremonies. Around 50 American veterans, some of whom participated in the June 6th, 1944 D-Day landing, landed yesterday at Deauville Airport.
The major political and diplomatic event demands unprecedented security measures, comments the French newspaper Le Figaro.
According to the prefect of Calvados, Stéphane Bretagne, 43,000 policemen, gendarmes, firefighters, and soldiers have been mobilized throughout the week of celebrations. Furthermore, 12,000 men have been mobilized exclusively for today.
The American president will remain in France until the European elections on Sunday and, in addition to his meetings with Macron, Scholz, and possibly high-ranking EU officials, he will also meet with the president of Ukraine to discuss “the situation in the war-torn country and how the US can continue its support to Kiev,” a White House spokesperson announced.
Tomorrow, the Ukrainian president will meet his French counterpart at the Élysée Palace to discuss Ukraine’s needs, and he is expected to deliver a speech at the French National Assembly.
Russia will be notably absent from the memorial events.
Russia, the country that suffered the most losses in World War II (over 27,000,000) and played a significant role in the fight against the Nazis, will not participate in this year’s memorial events.
It is noted that the country was not invited to the celebrations for the 80th anniversary of the Allies’ landing in Normandy, due to the war in Ukraine.
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