Ex-German Chancellor Schröder attends Putin's birthday bash

Former German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder attended Russian President Vladimir Putin 's birthday party, the Kremlin said Thursday. Putin celebrated his 74th birthday in Moscow on Wednesday. The Kremlin said Putin learned that Schröder was on a business trip in the Russian capital via Russian media reports. "The president invited his old friend to his home," the Kremlin said, with the Russian government releasing pictures of Schröder and Putin smiling and clasping hands. Schröder , who is 82 years old, was in Moscow visiting one of the branches of the new Hyperglobus supermarket chain. The ex-German chancellor was named to the chain's supervisory board last week.