Historic lakeside villa hosts Biden-Putin talks

GENEVA: Wednesday’s Geneva summit between US President Joe Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin takes place in a plush 18th-century lakeside villa steeped in the Swiss city’s history.

The Villa La Grange, set in Geneva’s biggest park which slopes down to the shore, is well used to hosting showpiece events -- but the Biden-Putin talks rank as the most high-powered of them all. The mansion, spruced up for the occasion, has played a part in landmark international agreements before, notably the first Geneva Convention.

And words said on its lawns by a former world leader resonate at the US-Russia summit. "We can establish an even deeper and more effective relationship," said pope Paul VI in 1969. Addressing a crowd of 70,000 in front of the villa, the pontiff evoked the opposing forces of love and hate and called for "generous peacemakers".

Views from the three-storey classical mansion sweep down over the Parc de La Grange, across Lake Geneva towards the United Nations and the Jura mountains beyond. The villa was a whirlwind of activity ahead of the summit, with vehicles scurrying in and out of the park.

The paint was touched up and the chandeliers polished, while antique furniture was rearranged to make way for the two presidents. The scene is set in the showpiece library: two wooden armchairs clad in red leather have been placed either side of a globe, against a backdrop of brown and gold tones.