French President Emmanuel Macron welcomed his US counterpart Joe Biden as a state guest in Paris on Saturday.
In contrast to regular working visits, official state visits are accompanied by a special level of pomp and protocol.
The two men attended a welcoming ceremony at the iconic Arc de Triomphe ahead of a parade down the Champs-Elysees.
They then held bilateral talks at the French president’s official residence, the Elysee Palace. A state dinner is planned for the evening, which US first lady Jill Biden will also attend.
Biden is currently on a multi-day visit to France. He arrived on Wednesday, and on Thursday he took part in the commemorative events in Normandy to mark the D-Day landing of the Allied troops 80 years ago.
What did the leaders tell the press?
After the talks, in a joint press conference, Biden welcomed the release of four hostages held by Palestinian militants in Gaza in an Israeli operation and vowed to work until all hostages are freed and a cease-fire is agreed.
“We won’t stop working until all the hostages are home and a cease-fire is reached. That’s essential to happen,” Biden said alongside French President Emmanuel Macron, who also congratulated the families on the hostages’ release.
Macron said France and the United States would redouble their efforts to prevent the Middle East conflict from expanding, particularly in Lebanon, where there is an urgent need to reduce tensions between Israel and Hezbollah.
The French president also said his country would work with the United States to “re-synchronize” the US and European economies. Macron said that during the talks with Biden, he raised the issue of the US Inflation Reduction Act, which is a source of concern in Europe.
Meanwhile, Biden pledged Washington’s support for Kyiv in its battle against the Russian invasion. He warned that Vladimir Putin would not stop at Ukraine.
“Putin is not going to stop at Ukraine… all of Europe will be threatened, we are not going to let that happen,” Biden said. “The United States is standing strong with Ukraine. We will not, I say it again, walk away.”
What were the topics of discussion?
According to the French government, the presidents also discussed preparations for the G7 summit in the Italian city of Bari next week and the NATO summit in the US capital in July.
The US and French presidents met separately with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Paris on Friday. Both pledged their countries’ continued support for Ukraine.
Biden calls for defense of democracy in second D-Day speech
Biden hosted Macron as a state guest in Washington in 2022. At the time, the French leader was the first foreign guest to be so honored during Biden’s tenure, which started amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
dh/rmt (AP, AFP, dpa, Reuters)
