Hollande to host two dinners in one night to keep Obama and Putin apart

The French president "eats everything" except caviar, truffles and lobster, and doesn't like cabbage, artichokes or asparagus much, according to a former chef who spent 40 years cooking for six French heads of state from Georges Pompidou to the incumbent, François Hollande. Which might make things a little easier when the current chef serves up two dinners on the same night for the visiting presidents of Russia and America.

Hollande will host President Barack Obama and President Vladimir Putin on Thursday after separate talks at the Elysée Palace before the 70th anniversary commemorations of the D-Day landings in Normandy the next day. But because of the tensions over Ukraine between the US and Russian leaders – who are not scheduled to hold talks – two consecutive dinners are to be held in order to keep the politically estranged leaders apart.

Hollande will first host Obama, then two hours later will welcome Putin to a separate dinner, the Associated Press reported. The Elysée Palace did not confirm the unusual arrangement on Tuesday.

It will not be the first time the Elysée Palace has served up a speedy meal, according to former chef Bernard Vaussion. Hollande's predecessor, Nicolas Sarkozy, spent only 12 minutes at one lunch with Obama, thought to be a record.

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jun/03/francois-hollande-two-dinners-obama-putin