STORY: French President Emmanuel Macron welcomed U.S. President Joe Biden in Paris on Saturday for a state visit that included talks about the Middle East and Ukraine.
Both men welcomed the rescue by Israeli forces of four hostages held by Hamas since October.
BIDEN: “We won’t stop working until all the hostages come home and a ceasefire is reached.”
Macron told reporters the two countries will work harder to prevent a regional escalation of Israel’s war with Hamas.
He also said they would focus on calming tensions between Israel and Hezbollah, the Iran-backed political movement and militia in Lebanon.
Macron and Biden are also aligned in their countries’ support for Ukraine and opposition to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
:: June 6, 2024
A joint roadmap released by the presidents included a commitment to back efforts to use frozen Russian assets to help Kyiv.
BIDEN: “And this week, we have showed the world once again the power of allies, what we can achieve when we stand together. That’s what this relationship between France and the United States exemplifies.”
The Saturday visit, which came after the two commemorated the D-Day landings days earlier, began with a ceremony at the Arc de Triomphe… the two leaders accompanied by their wives.
The day concluded with a dinner at the French presidential palace, where celebrities including Pharrell Williams and John McEnroe joined political and business leaders…
and the two presidents toasted what they described as shared values and friendship between the their nations.