Randolph (United States) (AFP)
US President Joe Biden chose for his first summit with Vladimir Poutin in Geneva on June 16 to offer his Russian counterpart a pair of his favorite sunglasses, an aviator model made by an American company.
Peter Waszkiewicz, boss of Randolph Engineering, said he was "surprised" to see his glasses used as a diplomatic gift during a meeting followed by media around the world.
“It was a normal working day until after around noon, when the phones started ringing and we saw a buzz on social media, and we figured out what was going on,” he said. he told AFP, describing this moment as "exhilarating".
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“It's pretty amazing, isn't it? I mean, how many times does an opportunity like this come up?” He said happily.
Perhaps soon on the nose of the Russian president, these glasses are usually worn by the military: the company has a contract with the United States military since 1978 and supplies it with 25,000 pairs each month, in addition to those sold to the general public.
The manufacture of each pair of these gold-rimmed glasses, named "Concorde" in reference to the supersonic aircraft, requires 200 steps and lasts six weeks.
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Production takes place in a small town in Massachusetts, a state in the northeast of the country, and the company, founded in 1973, boasts on its site "its American family values" and its desire not to relocate its factory outside the United States. .
"President Biden, I am sure, gave these glasses to President Putin as a symbol of our national heritage," said Peter Waszkiewicz.
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"Hope this is the symbol of peace."
© 2021 AFP