Biden speaks with Macron, Harris to meet with French president in Paris
Washington: US President Joe Biden and French President
Emmanuel Macron discussed strengthening European defenses in a telephone call
Friday, the White House said, as Washington seeks to mend ties after a bitter
row over submarine contracts.
The two leaders "discussed efforts to enable a stronger
and more capable European defense while ensuring complementarity with
NATO," the statement said.
Biden will meet Macron in Rome later this month, and the
statement said he looked forward to the chance to "take stock of the many
areas of US-France cooperation, and reinforce our shared interests."
A similar statement was issued by the French presidency.
Biden and Macron last spoke on September 22 for their first
conversation since the furious spat over selling submarines to Australia
severely strained relations.
Specifically, Australia agreed to acquire US nuclear sub
technology and in doing so scrap a huge, already existing deal with France to
buy conventional submarines. The new accord infuriated the French.
Macron recalled France's ambassador to Washington and
Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian compared Biden's unilateral methods to
ex-president Donald Trump's but "without the tweets."
VP Kamala Harris To Visit Paris
Although Biden did not apologize for secretly negotiating to
sell nuclear submarines to Australia, he did acknowledge that the issue
"would have benefited from open consultations among allies,"
according to a statement after the dispute erupted.
Following four years of tumultuous relations with Trump, the
diplomatic fireworks dashed hopes of a complete reset under Biden, who took
office in January aiming to rebuild frazzled ties with Europe.
US officials have since sought to patch up ties, with Secretary
of State Antony Blinken visiting Paris earlier this month and holding a
one-to-one meeting with Macron.
In their September call, Macron secured what he saw as a
significant commitment from Biden to respect French-led efforts to boost
European defense and autonomy.
US Vice President Kamala Harris will also hold talks with
Macron in Paris next month, the White House announced.
"They will discuss the importance of the transatlantic
relationship to global peace and security," it said, underlining partnership
on challenges "from Covid-19 and the climate crisis to issues affecting
the Sahel and the Indo-Pacific."
Australia has said it had decided to pursue nuclear
submarines amid rising tensions with China, and it won the right to the
technology as part of a new three-way alliance with the United States and
Britain.
"It has been a lack of communication," he said.
"That's it, that's over. Let's move forward."
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