Vladimir Putin will attend UN climate change summit, says French foreign minister

Laurent Fabius says Putin will be among the speakers in Paris on conference's first day, along with President Obama

The Kremlin hasn't confirmed Putin's participation at the so-called COP 21 talks (Getty Images)

France's foreign minister says Russian President Vladimir Putin has accepted an invitation to attend the upcoming U.N. climate conference in Paris.

Laurent Fabius says Putin will be among the speakers on the conference's first day, along with President Barack Obama and leaders of India, China and more than 100 others. The Kremlin hasn't confirmed Putin's participation at the so-called COP 21 talks, which aim to reach the most ambitious accord to date limiting emissions that cause global warming.

Organizers expect at least 40,000 people in addition to tens of thousands of activists from environmental, human rights and other groups to attend the Nov. 30-Dec. 11 conference.

Fabius spoke Sunday during a meeting of foreign and environment ministers to prepare the way for the climate conference's final negotiations.

Associated Press