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By Jeff Mason and John Irish
PARIS (Reuters) -Contemporary from commemorating the eightieth anniversary of D-Day, French President Emmanuel Macron welcomed U.S. President Joe Biden in Paris on Saturday for a state go to that included talks in regards to the Center East, Ukraine and commerce.
The 2 international locations will work more durable to forestall a regional escalation from Israel’s warfare with militant group Hamas in Gaza and concentrate on calming tensions between Israel and Hezbollah, Macron informed reporters on the Elysee presidential palace, with Biden at his aspect.
“We’re redoubling efforts collectively to keep away from a regional explosion, notably in Lebanon,” Macron mentioned. Hezbollah is an Iran-backed political motion and militia in Lebanon.
Each males welcomed the rescue by Israeli forces of 4 hostages held by Hamas since October. “We can’t cease working till all of the hostages come residence and a ceasefire is reached,” Biden mentioned.
Biden has been a staunch supporter of Israel, which is pursuing Hamas after it attacked the nation in October. However tens of hundreds of Palestinian deaths have soured Biden’s left-leaning political base on Israel, hurting him as he runs towards Republican Donald Trump for re-election in November.
Biden and Macron, who spent the previous few days celebrating D-Day veterans and extolling democratic values, didn’t take questions from reporters.
The Saturday go to started with a ceremony on the iconic Arc de Triomphe, the place the leaders paid their respects on the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier whereas a large French flag hanging from the arch fluttered within the breeze above their heads.
Accompanied by their wives, Biden and Macron greeted military veterans. Then, escorted by French guards on horseback, they drove down the capital’s famend Avenue des Champs-Elysees, en path to the Elysee.
The day concluded with a dinner on the French presidential palace, the place celebrities together with Pharrell Williams and John McEnroe joined political and enterprise leaders. Macron additionally welcomed 100-year-old World Struggle Two veteran Harold Terrens and his 96-year-old bride, Jeanne Swerlin, as company. The couple married earlier on Saturday.
Biden and Macron share a heat relationship regardless of previous tensions over a submarine cope with Australia. Biden hosted Macron for a state go to on the White Home in 2022.
They’re aligned of their international locations’ assist for Ukraine and opposition to Russian President Vladimir Putin, and a joint “roadmap” launched by the presidents included a dedication to again efforts to make use of frozen Russian property to assist Kyiv.
Tapping income from Russian property has drawn issues from some international locations, however a U.S. Treasury official mentioned on Tuesday that the USA and its G7 companions had been making progress.
Biden mentioned if Putin succeeds in his warfare with Ukraine, he wouldn’t cease there.
“It’s about rather more than Ukraine. All of Europe might be threatened, however we’re not going to let that occur,” he mentioned. “America is standing robust with Ukraine. We’re standing with our allies. And we’re standing with France.”
Biden met with Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskiy in Paris on Friday, apologizing for a months-long delay by the U.S. Congress in approving the most recent army support, and Zelenskiy addressed France’s Nationwide Meeting.
Past Ukraine, commerce points between the 2 sides of the Atlantic loomed giant, particularly over the U.S. Inflation Discount Act, which Biden signed into legislation in August 2022. European officers see it as a protectionist transfer that siphons off investments from EU corporations.
Macron mentioned he and Biden mentioned the implications of the IRA for the European financial system once more on Saturday. Regardless of his criticism of the IRA throughout his state go to to Washington in 2022, Macron and European allies have since gained few concessions from Washington.
“We actually want to transfer in direction of a resynchronisation of our economies, between the USA of America and European economies, by way of regulation and by way of funding ranges,” Macron mentioned.
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