What's happening in the world next week

Putin will visit France, Finland; the G7 Summit will be held in France; the Italian Senate will debate a no-confidence motion in government; the president of Romania will meet his US counterpart.

These are the international events under the spotlight for the week starting August 19.

Putin to visit France and Finland

Russian President Vladimir Putin will visit France on Aug 19 to discuss with his French counterpart, Emmanuel Macron, bilateral partnership.

During the one-day working visit, the leaders will also talk about Ukraine and discuss prospects for work within the Normandy Four.

The Normandy Four consists of Russian, Ukrainian, French and German senior representatives and aims to resolve the Ukrainian crisis.

On Aug 21, Putin will also pay a working visit to Finland at the invitation of Finnish President Sauli Niinisto. 

Besides bilateral cooperation, the leaders will discuss international and regional issues, including Russia's relations with the European Union in the context of Finland's current presidency of the EU Council.