World

Armistice Day: Macron urges world leaders to reject nationalism

November 11, 2018 4:04 pm

French President Emmanuel Macron has urged world leaders marking the centenary of the World War One Armistice to reject nationalism.

Addressing leaders in Paris – including US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin – he described it as a “betrayal of patriotism”.

“By saying ‘our interests first and never mind the others’ you stamp out the most precious thing a nation has – its moral values,” he said.

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Events are taking place worldwide.

Some 9.7 million soldiers and 10 million civilians died in World War One from 1914 to 1918.

Several world leaders also held bilateral meetings at the events. Mr Putin told journalists he had a brief conversation with Mr Trump and that it went well.

However, the French organisers of the lunch event changed the lunchtime seating arrangement at the last minute so Mr Trump and Mr Putin would not be sitting next to each other, Russian media reported.