President-elect Donald Trump is set to travel to Paris this weekend to attend the reopening celebration of Notre Dame Cathedral. This marks his first international trip since winning the election.

The iconic cathedral is reopening after over five years of painstaking reconstruction following the devastating fire in 2019. The invite-only event, scheduled for Saturday and Sunday, is expected to host around 50 heads of state and government under tight security, reports the Associated Press.

Trump announced his plans on Monday via his Truth Social platform.

FRANCE

Emmanuel Macron has been DENIED the right to make a speech inside Notre Dame when it reopens in Paris next month

Macron will instead have to reluctantly give his speech on the forecourt outside

The pope has REJECTED an invitation from Macron to attend the ceremony pic.twitter.com/0fctiNkz4i

— Catholic Arena (@CatholicArena) November 15, 2024

“It is an honor to announce that I will be traveling to Paris, France, on Saturday to attend the re-opening of the Magnificent and Historic Notre Dame Cathedral, which has been fully restored after a devastating fire five years ago,” he wrote. “President Emmanuel Macron has done a wonderful job ensuring that Notre Dame has been restored to its full level of glory, and even more so. It will be a very special day for all!”

Emmanuel Macron is impressed by the ancient stone statue of Our Lady of Paris, that miraculously survived the collapse of the roof of the Cathedral of Notre-Dame de Paris, which destroyed the post-Vatican II Altar just meters away. pic.twitter.com/O483L1Gsx8

— Catholic Sat (@CatholicSat) November 29, 2024

French President Emmanuel Macron has been deeply involved in the restoration efforts. Speaking at the site in November, Macron described the fire as a tragic event that “affected the people of France” and Catholics worldwide. He expressed gratitude to the 600 Parisian firefighters who managed to save the cathedral during a 15-hour battle against the blaze without any casualties.

During his November visit, Macron was joined by his wife, Brigitte Macron, as well as Paris Archbishop Laurent Ulrich and Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo. He also commended the efforts of over 1,000 artisans who restored the 12th-century structure’s stonework, wood carvings, and art fixtures.

Un espoir, une promesse, une renaissance.
Notre-Dame de Paris.
100 jours. pic.twitter.com/HuXEmi29sK

— Emmanuel Macron (@EmmanuelMacron) August 30, 2024

The cathedral’s renowned spire, which collapsed during the April 15, 2019, fire, has been reconstructed using around 1,000 historic French oak trees. It was revealed in February as scaffolding came down.

In December 2023, Archbishop Ulrich placed the relic of the Crown of Thorns, along with relics of St. Denis and St. Genevieve, inside the golden rooster at the spire’s peak. Reimagined as a phoenix, the rooster symbolizes Christ’s resurrection.