Thursday, 16/05/2019 16:18 (GMT+7)
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on May 15th offered homegrown softwood lumber and steel to help with the construction of Paris’ famed Notre Dame Cathedral.
The Notre Dame Cathedral was destroyed by fire (Source: Xinhua/VNA)
Canada will support the massive reconstruction effort by providing softwood lumber and steel, the PM said, adding, “Canada will stand with France and ensure we offer all the support whether it’s steel or wood or whatever help we can. This is truly a piece not just of French history, but of world history, that needs to be preserved and we will be there to be part of it.”
PM Justin Trudeau was in Paris on Wednesday and Thursday to take part in a series of meetings on the fight against extremism and online violence, some two months after an attack at a mosque in Christchurch, New Zealand, left 51 dead.
Not long after arriving in Paris, Trudeau visited Notre Dame alongside the cathedral’s rector, Patrick Chauvet, and French Culture Minister Franck Riester.
Earlier, in a letter sent to French President Emmanuel Macron this week, PM Justin Trudeau said Canada was proud to support France in the reconstruction of the iconic monument.
A huge fire engulfed Paris’s Notre-Dame, the world-famous, 850-year-old cathedral, damaging much of the structure and causing its iconic spire to fall on April 15th.
The upper parts of the gothic cathedral was engulfed by flames. The 90-metre-high spire parts of the roof completely collapsed, and the fire also spread to the bell towers.
French President Emmanuel Macron promised to rebuild Notre Dame Cathedral and said he was seeking international help to restore the Paris landmark./.
Compiled by BTA