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Macron's state visit to the US in pictures

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News The French President arrived in the US on Tuesday for a state visit hosted by President Joe Biden during which disagreements about US-EU trade did not entirely overshadow the pomp and ceremony at the White House.

French President Emmanuel Macron headed for the States on November 30, marking his second official visit to the US which was sure to be full of pomp and circumstance.

The Elysée Palace emphasized the "rare privilege" that the invitation represents for France, with the French state no doubt wanting to strengthen ties with their American allies in the face of multiple economic and global crises, including the war in Ukraine, the eneAFPrgy crisis, and rising costs of living.

Here's Mr. Macron's trip in pictures.

November 29: Touch down

French flags fly next to American ones all over Washington, DC before President Emmanuel Macron's arrival.

Mr. Macron and his wife, Brigitte Macron, disembark from their plane at the Joint Base Andrews in Maryland.

November 30: From space to 'Artisanal American Cheeses'

No time for jet lag, the French president met with US Vice President Kamala Harris to discuss France-American cooperation in space at NASA's headquarters in Washington.

French astronauts for the ESA Thomas Pesquet and newly-recruited Sophie Adenot also made an appearance...

...as did French Economic Minister Bruno Le Maire.

Ms. Macron, meanwhile, visited the Duke Ellington School of the Arts, which aims to provide world-class, free education to children in the nation's capital.

With no time for a French-style sit-down two-hour lunch, Mr. Macron then had a working lunch on climate and biodiversity issues with US Climate Envoy John Kerry, members of the US Congress, and key US stakeholders on climate.

He then headed to Virginia to visit the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier while visiting in Arlington National Cemetery.

Away from Mr. Macron, White House officials set tables for a media preview of the State Dinner the next day. The menu featured lobster, Napa Valley wine, and "American Artisanal Cheeses."

After which the French president spoke of the US' role in World War II, before awarding  Legion d'Honneur to veterans at the French Embassy.

And talked about baguettes . Of course .

He ended the busy day with a private dinner with his US counterpart at the "sophisticated" Fiola Mare seafood restaurant.

December 1: 'Vive la France, God bless America'

Mr. Macron was officially welcomed by Mr. Biden on December 1, in a State Arrival ceremony that saw visitors await the arrival of the French president and his wife Ms. Macron with French flags waving in their hands.

The two presidents had plenty of time to bond...

...as did the US First Lady, Jill Biden, and Brigitte Macron.

After discussing various policies and topics, including the war in Ukraine, the energy crisis, and more, Mr. Macron and Mr. Biden held a news conference in the East Room of the White House.

After which, Mr. Macron, Ms. Harris, and Secretary of State Antony Blinken made a toast during the start of a luncheon at the US State Department, which also saw appearances from House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and American filmmaker Spike Lee. Mr. Macron then visited the Capitol with Ms. Pelosi.

Dinner time. Plenty of famous faces arrive for Mr. Biden's first official state dinner, with the US president, the First lady, and Mr. and Ms. Macron arriving together.

Another toast, to what both presidents hope is the end of a feud over submarines. "Vive la France and God bless America," said Mr. Biden in his toast.

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The White House 1600 Pennsylvania Ave NW Washington, DC 20500

Joint Statement Following the Meeting Between President   Biden and President   Macron

Today, the President of the United States and the President of the French Republic met in Washington during the first State Visit of the Biden-Harris Administration. This special occasion reaffirms a relationship founded on more than two centuries of friendship, economic partnership, defense and security cooperation, and shared commitment to democratic principles, values, and institutions. France is the United States’ oldest ally, and while our relationship is rooted in history, it is oriented squarely toward the future. Building on their joint statement of October 29, 2021, the leaders outlined a shared vision to strengthen security and increase prosperity worldwide, combat climate change, build greater resilience to its effects, and advance democratic values. This vision is built on a shared conviction that the United States and its European allies and partners can better face our greatest challenges and capitalize on our most promising opportunities together. This includes addressing global issues such as climate change and energy transition, investing in technologies and building resilient value chains in strategic sectors such as health, semiconductors, and critical minerals, as well as strengthening our security and defense cooperation.  Transatlantic, European and Global Security  The Presidents resolve to continue working tirelessly for a Europe that is whole, free, and at peace. This entails maintaining our nations’ collective defense and security, including through NATO; pursuing a more robust, integrated, and coherent approach to building national and collective resilience against military and non-military threats to our security; and promoting international stability in response to the full range of current threats. The Presidents recognize the importance of a stronger and more capable European defense that contributes positively to transatlantic and global security and is complementary to and interoperable with NATO.  European-led missions and operations, such as in Bosnia and the training mission for Ukraine, are positively contributing to transatlantic security. The Presidents commend the U.S.-France defense relationship and welcome the Statement of Intent signed on November 30, 2022, by the U.S. Secretary of Defense and French Minister of Armed Forces, which allows for increased interoperability and enhanced cooperation in the areas of space, cyberspace, intelligence, and countering malign influence. The Presidents intend to expand defense cooperation on advanced capabilities and key technologies that will be critical to deterrence and defense in the future.  They welcome progress made by the U.S.-France Defense Trade Strategic Dialogue in fostering shared views on defense market access and export issues. The United States and France intend to continue our cooperation to enhance the efficiency of the defense export authorization process, with a view to developing stronger and interoperable defense industrial bases in Europe and in the United States as a means to deliver better military capabilities for the benefit of the Alliance.  Ukraine  The Presidents strongly condemn Russia’s illegal war of aggression against Ukraine and stress that intentionally targeting civilians and civilian infrastructure constitutes war crimes whose perpetrators must be held accountable. They also condemn and reject Russia’s illegal attempted annexation of sovereign Ukrainian territory, in clear violation of international law. The United States and France deplore Russia’s deliberate escalatory steps, notably its irresponsible nuclear rhetoric and its disinformation regarding alleged chemical attacks, and biological and nuclear weapons programs. They reaffirm their nations’ continued support for Ukraine’s defense of its sovereignty and territorial integrity, including the provision of political, security, humanitarian, and economic assistance to Ukraine for as long as it takes.  This includes the provision of significant resources to support Ukrainian civilian resilience through the winter, including stepping up the delivery of air defense systems and equipment needed to repair Ukraine’s energy grid. The United States and France plan to continue working with partners and allies to coordinate assistance efforts, including at the international conference taking place in Paris on December 13, 2022. They also intend to continue providing robust direct budget support for Ukraine, and to urge the international financial institutions to scale up their financial support. The United States and France reiterate their duty to uphold applicable international obligations and the principles and purposes of the UN Charter. They also reiterate their steadfast resolve to hold Russia to account for widely documented atrocities and war crimes, committed both by its regular armed forces and by its proxies, including mercenary entities such as Vagner and others, through support for international accountability mechanisms, including the International Criminal Court, the Ukrainian prosecutor general, UN Human Rights Council Commission of Inquiry, and the OSCE Moscow Mechanism, sanctions, and other means.  The United States and France remain committed to addressing the wider effects of Russia’s war, including working with the international community to build greater resilience to food and energy disruptions.   Indo-Pacific  The United States and France, two nations of the Indo-Pacific, are strengthening their partnership in the Indo-Pacific region to advance prosperity, security, and shared values based on a rules-based international order, transparent governance, fair economic practices, and respect for international law, including freedom of navigation. The United States and France intend to expand their regional diplomatic, development, and economic engagement with a view to building resilience in the Pacific Islands. They also intend to increase practical coordination in the region on maritime security. The United States intends to increase its support and material contributions to air and maritime deployments conducted by France and other European nations in the region.  The United States and France will continue to coordinate on our concerns regarding China’s challenge to the rules-based international order, including respect for human rights, and to work together with China on important global issues like climate change. The Presidents reaffirm the importance of maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait. Both leaders also strongly condemn the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea’s (DPRK) unprecedented number of unlawful ballistic missile tests this year that violate multiple UN Security Council resolutions and pose a threat to regional peace and stability, and are committed to continue coordination at the UN Security Council to address DPRK violations. Africa  The Presidents renew their resolve to work with African partners to pursue shared governance, security, and economic priorities on the continent. They affirm the importance of African voices in multilateral fora, especially in addressing global crises like climate change, pandemic response and recovery, sustainable energy access, and food insecurity. They aim to support democratic institutions and civil societies in Africa to enhance accountability and the delivery of basic services.  They reaffirm their joint support for the African-led Great Green Wall initiative to address the climate and biodiversity crisis, contributing to sustainable development, peace, and security in the Sahara and Sahel regions. Fighting disinformation and terrorism remain joint priorities of France and the United States on the continent. France and the United States intend to continue to work closely with the African Union and African regional organizations to address the continent’s challenges and seize opportunities to increase trade and investment. Middle East France and the United States are determined to work closely in support of peace and prosperity in the Middle East. The Presidents welcome the launch of the Negev Forum and the second anniversary of the signing of the Abraham Accords, along with the historic breakthrough of the October 2022 Israel-Lebanon maritime boundary agreement. They are determined to sustain joint efforts to urge Lebanon’s leaders to elect a president and advance critical reforms. They remain committed to maintain the means and capabilities necessary for the counterterrorism mission in Iraq and Syria as members of the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS. France and the United States continue to work to improve the grave humanitarian situation faced by the Syrian people as well as to promote a long-lasting, just solution to the Syrian conflict. They will continue engaging with partners in the Middle-East and follow up on the August 2021 Baghdad Conference.   The Presidents also express their respect for the Iranian people, in particular women and youth, who are bravely protesting to gain the freedom to exercise their human rights and fundamental freedoms, which Iran itself has subscribed to and is violating.   They remain determined to ensure that Iran can never develop or acquire a nuclear weapon. France and the United States continue to work with other international partners to address Iran’s nuclear escalation, its insufficient cooperation with the IAEA, including on serious and outstanding issues relating to Iran’s legal obligations under its Non-Proliferation Treaty Safeguards Agreement, and its destabilizing activities in the Middle East, most urgently its transfers of missiles and drones, including to non-state actors. These transfers can threaten key Gulf partners and stability and security in the region, contravene international law, and now contribute to Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine. France and the United States will work with partners to enhance cooperation regarding enforcement of relevant UN Security Council resolutions and countering these activities. They will undertake joint efforts aimed at further strengthening the international framework constraining the proliferation of Iranian missile and unmanned aerial vehicle technologies in the region and beyond and in enhancing practical efforts to counter this proliferation. Nuclear Deterrence, Nonproliferation, and Disarmament The United States and France reaffirm that nuclear deterrence remains essential for their national security and a core component of NATO’s overall capabilities for deterrence and defense. They reaffirm that the fundamental purpose of NATO’s nuclear capability is to preserve peace, prevent coercion, and deter aggression against the Alliance. They reaffirm the importance of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons and their opposition to the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, which does not reflect the increasingly challenging international security environment and is at odds with the existing non-proliferation and disarmament architecture. The United States and France also reaffirm support for their Mutual Defense Agreement and intend to expand their technical cooperation on a wide range of strategic risk reduction topics. Economy, Emerging Technologies, Trade, and Supply Chains The bilateral investment and trade relationship between our nations is longstanding and deep, creating significant jobs and prosperity for both. The United States and France reaffirm their commitment to an open and rules-based multilateral trading system, with a modernized WTO at its core. In that spirit, they continue to promote bilateral trade and investments that support supply chain resilience and our high-tech and innovative industries, including aerospace, information technology, pharmaceuticals, and finance. With a view to further enhancing their bilateral trade and investment relationship, they intend to hold discussions on reciprocal facilitation of visa issuance and renewal, and authorizations of stay.   The United States and France are committed to developing diverse and robust supply chains for critical minerals, including through their collaboration in the Mineral Security Partnership and the Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment. They reaffirm their shared goal of accelerating the global green energy transition. They look forward to the work of the U.S.-EU Taskforce on the Inflation Reduction Act to further strengthen the U.S.-EU partnership on clean energy and climate through mutually beneficial ways.   Space The Presidents are committed to strengthening the U.S.-France alliance across all sectors of space cooperation. They highlight their engagement in continuing the longstanding bilateral cooperation in Earth observation for monitoring and assessing climate change and adapting to its consequences. In that spirit, they plan to working jointly on future Earth science missions. They welcome France’s commitment not to conduct destructive, direct-ascent anti-satellite missile testing and will work towards universal adherence to this pledge.  The United States and France are determined to deepen collaboration on defense space activities, including military planning, information sharing, and operational coordination. They welcome the June 2022 signings of the Artemis Accords by France and of the Space for Climate Observatory Charter by the United States, as well as the first meeting of the U.S.-France Comprehensive Dialogue on Space in Paris in November 2022. Energy The Presidents welcome the successful first year of the U.S.-France Bilateral Clean Energy Partnership, which convened most recently in October 2022, as the high-level platform to advance our energy and climate cooperation. In reaffirming their joint determination to further synchronize and deepen cooperation on civil nuclear energy, the United States and France plan to set up a nuclear energy small group within the Partnership’s framework. The Partnership’s priorities also include deepening civilian nuclear cooperation and contributing to a reliable nuclear supply chain, in accordance with the highest standards of nuclear nonproliferation, including the application of IAEA Additional Protocol, and by further reducing reliance on civil nuclear and related goods from Russia. The Partnership will promote advanced nuclear power globally, which has a key role to play in order to reduce global CO2 emissions, while continuing efforts to limit the spread of sensitive enrichment and reprocessing technology.   The United States and France continue to promote energy policies, technology, and innovation that enhance renewable energy production and accelerated deployment. They intend to continue to support the diversification of Europe’s natural gas supply, including through U.S. liquified natural gas exports, as well as to cooperate in reducing overall demand for natural gas in alignment with climate objectives. The Presidents welcome the progress made through the U.S.-EU Task Force on Energy Security to diversify the EU’s natural gas supplies, reducing its cost and limiting its dependence on natural gas. Climate and Biodiversity  The Presidents express their deep concern regarding the growing impact of climate change and nature loss and intend to continue to galvanize domestic and global action to address it. France and the United States plan to continue pursuing their efforts to support the phase out of coal as soon as possible, both domestically and in emerging economies. They plan to increase their support towards those countries that host the most critical reserves of irrecoverable carbon and important biodiversity. France and the United States will also work together to protect rainforests and to tackle deforestation and illegal forest clearances, including through the One Forest Summit that will be held early 2023 in Libreville. They will work together to ensure better ocean protection in view of the next UN Ocean Conference that will be held in France in 2025 and are fully mobilized at the highest level for the conclusion of the UN Treaty on the protection of the High Sea in 2023.  Strengthening the International Financial Architecture France and the United States intend to work jointly to strengthen the international financial architecture to support the most vulnerable countries in a context of multiple shocks, from the COVID-19 pandemic to the repercussions of Russia’s war against Ukraine and the accelerating effects of climate change. The United States and France will also cooperate closely to reduce the financing gap in emerging and developing economies in order to foster sustainable pathways towards net zero. This includes working together to ensure that multilateral systems are delivering timely debt relief from all key creditors to countries in distress.  As two major shareholders, France and the United States reaffirm their determination to drive an evolution of the multilateral development banks, starting with the World Bank, to better address global challenges and support private investment in emerging and developing markets. France and the United States reiterate their commitment to help meet the global ambition of $100 billion U.S. dollars in voluntary contributions as soon as possible for countries most in need, including through the channeling of special drawing rights.  The Presidents affirm their willingness to cooperate to raise the level of ambition on these issues, including at the summit to be held in Paris in June 2023.   Global Health and Food Security It is fitting that this State Visit coincides with World AIDS Day, given our nations’ leadership in turning the tide of the AIDS pandemic and as the most recent hosts of the replenishments for the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. Learning from the COVID-19 pandemic, France and the United States plan to intensify their cooperation on global health security and pandemic prevention, preparedness, and response, including by supporting the newly established Pandemic Fund, bolstering national health systems, training health workers, and strengthening multilateral institutions including the World Health Organization.  The United States and France intend to continue working together to respond to regional and global food security challenges. They also intend to promote and safeguard an open and transparent agricultural market, to invest in resilient food systems, and to refrain from imposing any unnecessary trade obstacles. Democracy and Human Rights The Presidents recognize that strengthening democratic values and respect for universal human rights is essential to meeting the unprecedented challenges of our time. They reinforce the commitments they each made at the first Summit for Democracy to support free and independent media, tackle the proliferation of surveillance technologies and disinformation, bolster democratic reformers, and advance technology for democracy. The United States and France intend to strengthen and expand the Freedom Online Coalition, advance the commitments made in the Christchurch Call to Action to counter the dissemination of terrorist and violent extremist content online to better protect human rights both on- and off-line, and plan to promote the principles outlined in the Declaration for the Future of the Internet. Cyber and Disinformation The Presidents renew their determination to work alongside partners and stakeholders to advance cybersecurity and to uphold international law and established, non-binding global peacetime norms in cyberspace, including through the Paris Call for Trust and Security in Cyberspace and through an ambitious United Nations Program of Action. The United States and France plan to hold their fifth U.S.-France Cyber Dialogue in early 2023. They also intend to strengthen bilateral coordination in combating foreign manipulation of information online. They reaffirm their support for independent media at the international level, including through the International Fund for Public Interest Media (IFPIM) to be hosted in Paris. The United States and France underscore the importance of last month’s Counter Ransomware Initiative Summit where they and 35 other participants reaffirmed their cooperation to disrupt ransomware globally. Recognizing the growing use of commercial space capabilities to support critical functions and the increasing cybersecurity threats to those capabilities, France and the United States intend to work together to strengthen the cybersecurity of these space systems. Education and Science Partnerships The United States and France are committed to deepening their educational cooperation with the shared objective of fostering greater equity and access to excellence in education. Because the power of language and international mobility can lead to meaningful partnerships, they intend to undertake new initiatives to foster language learning, such as facilitating French and English language teaching assistant exchanges between their respective countries. They welcome and support the French for All initiative, which promotes greater and more equitable access to French language education and the benefits of bilingualism for young learners across the United States.   The United States and France aim for a robust network of educational partnerships and exchange programs to reach the next generation of transatlantic leaders who will shape Franco-American relations for decades to come. This includes strengthening the flagship U.S.-French Fulbright Program, which will celebrate the 75th anniversary in 2023. They also intend to develop new ways for young French and Americans to learn about each other’s culture and history, including through Villa Albertine’s residency program for French and Francophone creators across the United States as well as for American creators across France.  Likewise, they are creating the “250 for 250” program, which celebrates France’s role in the founding of the United States, and the enduring friendship between their two nations, by sending 250 French students to study or intern in the United States and 250 American students to study or intern in France.    Through technical and scientific exchange, the United States and France intend to deepen their collaboration on shared priorities such as health, the environment, and emerging technologies, including biotechnology, quantum science, and artificial intelligence.  Joseph R. Biden, Jr.                                                                       Emmanuel Macron

December 1, 2022

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• Copy URL https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/white-house-announces-french-president-macrons-1st-visit-during-biden-tenure

White House announces French President Macron’s 1st U.S. visit during Biden tenure

WASHINGTON (AP) — French President Emmanuel Macron will travel to Washington in early December for the first state visit of President Joe Biden’s tenure, an occasion marked by pomp and pageantry that is designed to celebrate relations between the United States and its closest allies.

The Dec. 1 visit, following the U.S. midterm elections and the Thanksgiving holiday, will be the second state visit for Macron, who was first elected to lead his country in May 2017 and  won a second term earlier this year . Macron also had a state visit during the Trump years.

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre announced the visit Monday, saying it will “underscore the deep and enduring relationship with France, our oldest ally.” It will be the first time the White House has hosted a world leader for a state visit since the coronavirus outbreak.

The invitation comes as a sign that relations between Biden and Macron have come full circle. The relationship tanked last year after the United States announced a deal to sell nuclear submarines to Australia. The decision by the U.S. undermined a deal that had been in place for France to sell diesel-powered submarines to Australia.

After the announcement of the deal, which was born out of a new security agreement between the U.S., Australia and Britain, France briefly recalled its ambassador to Washington, Philippe Etienne, to Paris. Biden also sought to patch thing up with France by eventually acknowledging to Macron that his administration had been “clumsy” in how it handled the issue.

READ MORE: French lawmakers approve $20.3 billion package to help with rising prices

The Biden administration since has heaped praise on Macron for being among the most vociferous Western allies in condemning Russia’s 7-month-old war in Ukraine and pressing broad sanctions on the Russian economy and officials close to President Vladimir Putin.

Central to Biden’s pitch for the presidency was a vow to restore America’s global leadership after four years of Donald Trump’s “America First” worldview . But Biden has acknowledged that Macron and other allies remain skeptical about whether he can make good on robust U.S. leadership worldwide.

Biden is fond of telling the story of how, at a world leader meeting he attended soon after taking office, he declared that “America is back.” He says his counterparts, starting with Macron, countered by asking, “For how long?”

Macron also was the first world leader to earn a state visit under Trump, though their relationship later became fractious.

The French leader had sought to cultivate a close partnership with Trump and hosted the Republican in 2017 for Bastille Day celebrations in Paris. Trump reciprocated with Macron’s state visit.

But the relationship soured after Trump pulled U.S. troops from Syria without coordinating with France and other NATO allies. Trump disparaged NATO.

In one of their last face-to-face encounters, at a gathering of NATO leaders in London in 2019, Trump and Macron hardly hid their frustration with each other.

Not long before that meeting, Macron had complained that the alliance was suffering “brain death” caused by diminished U.S. leadership under Trump. Trump snapped back after a meeting with Macron that the French leader had made “very, very nasty” and “disrespectful” comments.

READ MORE: French National Assembly unanimously approves law banning conversion therapy

When Macron visited in April 2018, Trump and his wife, Melania, planned a double date with Macron and his wife, Brigitte, at Mount Vernon, the Virginia estate of George Washington, America’s founding president.

The couples helped plant a tree on the White House lawn before they departed on a helicopter tour of monuments built in a capital city designed by French-born Pierre L’Enfant as they flew south to Mount Vernon, situated along the Potomac River. Macron was welcomed at the White House the next day with a booming 21-gun salute, his first Oval Office meeting with Trump, a joint news conference with the president and a state dinner for 150 guests in the White House State Dining Room.

Scott Morrison, then the prime minister of Australia, also came on a state visit at Trump’s invitation in September 2019. Trump had announced a third state visit, by Spain’s King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia, but it was postponed due to the pandemic and could not be held before Trump lost reelection in 2020.

President Barack Obama also afforded France the honor of a state visit, in 2014.

Obama and French President Francois Hollande celebrated ties between their nations by touring Monticello, the sprawling Charlottesville, Virginia, estate owned by Thomas Jefferson, the former U.S. president and famed Francophile. Jefferson was an early U.S. envoy to France.

Hollande’s visit was the first such recognition for France in two decades. But it proved a bit of a diplomatic challenge as he traveled without a female companion following a very public breakup with longtime partner Valerie Trierweiler. Holland and Trierweiler were a couple when the White House extended the invitation, but the relationship ended after a gossip magazine revealed a secret tryst between Hollande and a French actress.

The last-minute change of plans – Hollande coming solo — caused heartburn for U.S. officials planning the diplomatic event. The Obamas tried to put the issue to rest by seating Hollande between them at a state dinner for 350 invited guests in a heated pavilion on the White House South Lawn on a frigid February night.

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President Biden hosts French President Macron at White House during state visit

President Biden Welcomes French President Macron to White House

During official arrival ceremonies on the South Lawn, President Biden and first lady Jill Biden welcomed French President Emmanuel Macron an… read more

During official arrival ceremonies on the South Lawn, President Biden and first lady Jill Biden welcomed French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife, Brigitte Macron, to the White House to begin the first state visit of the Biden administration. Ceremonies included a review of the troops, a 21-gun salute, playing of national anthems, and brief remarks by both leaders. close

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French President Macron visits Washington for his second state visit

Eleanor Beardsley

French President Emmanuel Macron visits Washington for his second state visit. He's expected to discuss Europe's industrial concerns and the Ukraine war with President Biden and congressional leaders.

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Biden to host France's Macron for state visit Dec. 1

By Melissa Quinn

September 26, 2022 / 2:11 PM EDT / CBS News

Washington — President Biden will host French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte for a state visit on Dec. 1, the White House announced, in what will be the first state visit for Mr. Biden since assuming the presidency.

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters that during the visit, Mr. Biden and Macron will discuss the "continued close partnership" between the United States and France, as well as "shared global challenges and areas of bilateral interest." Among the areas where the two nations have worked together is on the the ongoing war in Ukraine, she said.

The state visit, Jean-Pierre said, "will underscore the deep and enduring relationship between the United States and France, our oldest ally. Our close relationship with France is founded on our shared democratic values, economic ties and defense and security cooperation."

Mr. Biden and Macron have spoken numerous times over the president's time in office and met last week on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly . Jean-Pierre said the U.S. and France have a "deeply valued relationship," and it was important for the president and first lady Dr. Jill Biden to "welcome this close and valued partner to the White House."

The first state visit for Mr. Biden will come more than 22 months after he took office, and Jean-Pierre noted that the COVID-19 pandemic delayed many in-person events that the president traditionally hosts at the White House. Still, other foreign leaders have met with Mr. Biden for working visits during his administration.

Macron also traveled to the U.S. for a state visit hosted by former President Donald Trump in 2018. First elected to lead France in 2017, Macron defeated far-right challenger Marine Le Pen to win a second term in April.

Melissa Quinn is a politics reporter for CBSNews.com. She has written for outlets including the Washington Examiner, Daily Signal and Alexandria Times. Melissa covers U.S. politics, with a focus on the Supreme Court and federal courts.

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Macron begins the first state visit to Germany by a French president in 24 years

The Associated Press

May 26, 2024, 1:18 PM

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BERLIN (AP) — President Emmanuel Macron on Sunday started the first state visit to Germany by a French head of state in 24 years, a three-day trip meant to underline the strong ties between the European Union’s traditional leading powers ahead of European Parliament elections in which far-right parties in both countries hope for gains.

The visit was originally meant to take place last July but was postponed at the last minute due to rioting in France following the killing of a 17-year-old by police .

While Macron is a frequent visitor to Germany as Paris and Berlin try to coordinate their positions on EU and foreign policy, this is the first state visit with full pomp since Jacques Chirac came in 2000. Macron and his wife, Brigitte, are being hosted by Germany’s largely ceremonial president, Frank-Walter Steinmeier.

It is “proof of the depth of the friendship between France and Germany” that Macron is visiting as Germany celebrates the 75th anniversary of its post-World War II constitution and before it marks the 35th anniversary in November of the fall of the Berlin Wall, Steinmeier said.

Steinmeier is holding a state banquet for Macron at his Bellevue palace in Berlin on Sunday evening before the two presidents travel on Monday to the eastern city of Dresden, where Macron will make a speech, and on Tuesday to Muenster in western Germany. The state visit will be followed later Tuesday by a meeting between Macron, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and ministers from both countries at a government guest house outside Berlin.

Germany and France, which have the EU’s biggest economies, have long been viewed as the motor of European integration, though there have often been differences in policy and emphasis between the two neighbors on a range of matters.

That was evident earlier this year in different positions on whether Western countries should rule out sending ground troops to Ukraine. Both nations are strong backers of Kyiv.

Macron on Sunday said there has frequently been talk of problems in Franco-German relations over the decades, but “France and Germany together have accomplished extraordinary things — they have been at the heart of this Europe.” He contrasted that with the countries’ history of war against each other until 1945.

He renewed a warning that Europe could “die” if it fails to build its own robust defense as Russia’s war in Ukraine rages on, or if it fails to undertake major trade and economic reforms to compete with China and the U.S.

Ahead of the European Parliament elections next month, Macron said that “fear of a changing world” is feeding a rise of the far-right in Europe.

“When we let these fears transform into anger, that feeds extremes,” he said, advocating “respect” in listening to people’s worries and greater “efficiency” in dealing with their problems.

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French President Macron says he won't rush through voting reforms that triggered New Caledonia riots

French President Emmanuel Macron has said on a visit to riot-hit New Caledonia that he won’t force through a contested voting reform that has sparked deadly unrest in the French Pacific territory and wants to leave time for local leaders to come up with an alternate agreement for the archipelago’s future

French President Emmanuel Macron said Thursday on a visit to riot-hit New Caledonia that he won’t force through the contested voting reform that sparked the French Pacific territory’s deadly unrest, saying he wants local leaders to come up with an alternate agreement for the archipelago’s future.

Speaking after a day of meetings with leaders on both sides of New Caledonia’s bitter divide between Indigenous Kanaks who want independence and pro-Paris leaders who do not, Macron laid out a roadmap that he said could lead to another referendum for the territory.

Three earlier referendums between 2018 and 2021 produced “no” votes against independence. He said another could be on a new political deal for the archipelago that he hopes local leaders will agree on in coming weeks and months after protesters’ barricades are dismantled, allowing for a state of emergency to be lifted and for peace to return.

“I have pledged that this reform won’t be pushed through with force today in the current context and that we are giving ourselves a few weeks to allow for calm, the resumption of dialogue, with a view to a global agreement,” he said.

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The unrest began early last week in response to legislation in the French parliament that Kanaks fear will dilute their influence by allowing some more recent arrivals in the archipelago to vote in local elections.

Both French houses of parliament in Paris have already approved the overhaul. The next step was to have been a special Congress of both houses meeting in Versailles to implement it by amending France’s Constitution. That had been expected by the end of June. But Macron’s comments in the New Caledonian capital, Nouméa, suggested he’s now willing to change tack and buy more time for an alternate deal, perhaps more palatable to pro-independence leaders who fear the electoral change will marginalize Kanak voters.

Macron said he would take stock in one month “at the most.”

His announcements came at the end of a whistle-stop visit aimed at de-escalating the severest violence since the 1980s in the archipelago of 270,000 people, with decades of tensions over the issue of independence between Kanaks and the descendants of colonists and other settlers. Macron also visited in 2018 and 2023, in calmer times.

Macron repeatedly pushed for the removal of protesters’ barricades and said police sent in to help battle shootings, arson, looting and other unrest “will stay as long as necessary,” even as security services back in France focus in coming weeks on safeguarding the Paris Olympics .

His roughly 32,000-kilometer (20,000-mile) round-trip from Paris to spend the day in New Caledonia brought the weight of his office to bear on the crisis, which has left six dead and a trail of destruction.

Pro-independence Kanak leaders, who a week earlier declined Macron’s offer of talks by video, joined a meeting the French leader hosted with rival pro-Paris leaders who want New Caledonia to stay part of France, which took possession of the territory in 1853 under Emperor Napoleon III. Macron also met separately with both camps.

Macron called for a minute of silence for the six people killed in shootings, including two gendarmes. He then urged local leaders to use their clout to help restore order. He said a state of emergency imposed by Paris for at least 12 days on May 15 to boost police powers could only be lifted if local leaders call for a clearing away of barricades that demonstrators and people trying to protect their neighborhoods have erected in Nouméa and beyond.

“Everyone has a responsibility to really call for the lifting of the barricades, the cessation of all forms of attack, not simply for calm,” he said.

Barricades made up of charred vehicles and other debris have turned parts of Nouméa into no-go zones and made traveling around perilous, including for the sick requiring medical treatment and for families fretting about food and water after shops were pillaged and torched.

French authorities say more than 280 people have been arrested since violence flared May 13, as French lawmakers in Paris debated the contested changes to New Caledonia voter lists.

The unrest continued to simmer as Macron jetted in, despite a 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. curfew and more than 1,000 reinforcements for the archipelago’s police and gendarmes, now 3,000 strong.

“I will be very clear here. These forces will remain as long as necessary. Even during the Olympic Games and Paralympics,” which open in Paris on July 26, Macron said.

At Nouméa’s central police station, Macron thanked officers for facing what he described as “an absolutely unprecedented insurrection movement.”

“No one saw it coming with this level of organization and violence,” he said. “You did your duty. And I thank you.”

Fires, looting and other violence targeting hundreds of businesses, homes, stores, public buildings and other sites in and around Nouméa have caused destruction estimated in the hundreds of millions of euros (dollars). This week, military flights evacuated stranded tourists .

Macron flew to the archipelago under pressure from politicians in France and pro-independence supporters to delay or scrap the overhaul of the voting system. It would enlarge voter numbers in provincial elections for New Caledonia’s legislature and government, adding about 25,000 voters, including people who have been residents of the archipelago for at least 10 years and others born there.

Opponents fear the measure will benefit pro-France politicians in New Caledonia and further marginalize Kanaks, who once suffered from strict segregation policies and widespread discrimination. Supporters say the proposed reform is democratically important for people with roots in New Caledonia who can’t currently vote for local representatives.

Macron in the past has facilitated dialogue between the divided pro- and anti-independence camps. France’s efforts included the three referendums that asked voters if they wanted independence. They voted no each time, but the last referendum in 2021 was boycotted by pro-independence forces.

Rush reported from Portland, Oregon. Leicester reported from Paris.

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French President Macron says he won’t rush through voting reforms that triggered New Caledonia riots

French President Emmanuel Macron arrived in New Caledonia on Thursday to seek a political solution to the deadly violence that has rocked the French archipelago in the Pacific where Indigenous Kanaks have long sought independence.

French President Emmanuel Macron delivers a speech at New Caledonia’s High Commissioner residency, in Noumea, France’s Pacific territory of New Caledonia Thursday May, 23, 2024. French President Emmanuel Macron pushed Thursday on a visit to riot-hit New Caledonia for the removal of protesters’ barricades and said police sent in to help battle deadly unrest in the French Pacific archipelago “will stay as long as necessary,” even as security services back in France focus in coming weeks on safeguarding the Paris Olympics. (Ludovic Marin, Pool via AP)

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French President Emmanuel Macron delivers a speech at New Caledonia’s High Commissioner residency in Noumea, France’s Pacific territory of New Caledonia Thursday May, 23, 2024. French President Emmanuel Macron pushed Thursday on a visit to riot-hit New Caledonia for the removal of protesters’ barricades and said police sent in to help battle deadly unrest in the French Pacific archipelago “will stay as long as necessary,” even as security services back in France focus in coming weeks on safeguarding the Paris Olympics. (Ludovic Marin, Pool via AP)

French President Emmanuel Macron speaks as sits next to France’s Minister for Interior and Overseas Gerald Darmanin, left, during a meeting with New Caledonia’s elected officials at the French High Commissioner Louis Le Franc’s residence in Noumea,New Caledonia, Thursday, May 23, 2024. Macron has landed in riot-hit New Caledonia, having crossed the globe by plane from Paris in a high-profile show of support for the French Pacific archipelago wracked by deadly unrest and where indigenous people have long sought independence from France. (Ludovic Marin/Pool Photo via AP)

French President Emmanuel Macron shakes hands with a policeman upon his arrival at the central police station in Noumea, New Caledonia, Thursday, May 23, 2024. Macron has met with local officials in riot-hit New Caledonia, after crossing the globe in a high-profile show of support for the French Pacific archipelago gripped by deadly unrest.(Ludovic Marin/Pool Photo via AP)

People demonstrate as French President Emmanuel Macron’s motorcade drives past in in Noumea, New Caledonia, Thursday, May 23, 2024. Macron has landed in riot-hit New Caledonia, having crossed the globe by plane from Paris in a high-profile show of support for the French Pacific archipelago wracked by deadly unrest and where indigenous people have long sought independence from France. (Ludovic Marin/Pool Photo via AP)

French President Emmanuel Macron gestures as he speaks with the press upon arrival at Noumea ñ La Tontouta International airport, in Noumea, New Caledonia, Thursday, May 23, 2024. Macron has landed in riot-hit New Caledonia, having crossed the globe by plane from Paris in a high-profile show of support for the French Pacific archipelago wracked by deadly unrest and where indigenous people have long sought independence from France. (Ludovic Marin/Pool Photo via AP)

French President Emmanuel Macron, right, walks past New Caledonia’s President Louis Mapou, left, and New Caledonia’s Congress President Roch Wamytan following a meeting with New Caledonia’s elected officials and local representatives at the French High Commissioner Louis Le Franc’s residence in Noumea, New Caledonia, Thursday, May 23, 2024. Macron has landed in riot-hit New Caledonia, having crossed the globe by plane from Paris in a high-profile show of support for the French Pacific archipelago wracked by deadly unrest and where indigenous people have long sought independence from France. (Ludovic Marin/Pool Photo via AP)

A policeman waits for the arrival of French President Emmanuel Macron at the central police station in Noumea, New Caledonia, Thursday, May 23, 2024. Macron has met with local officials in riot-hit New Caledonia, after crossing the globe in a high-profile show of support for the French Pacific archipelago gripped by deadly unrest.(Ludovic Marin/Pool Photo via AP)

A road block in central Noumea, New Caledonia, Thursday, May 23, 2024. French President Emmanuel Macron has landed in riot-hit New Caledonia, having crossed the globe by plane from Paris in a high-profile show of support for the French Pacific archipelago wracked by deadly unrest and where indigenous people have long sought independence from France. (Ludovic Marin/Pool Photo via AP)

French President Emmanuel Macron visits the central police station in Noumea, New Caledonia, Thursday, May 23, 2024. Macron has met with local officials in riot-hit New Caledonia, after crossing the globe in a high-profile show of support for the French Pacific archipelago gripped by deadly unrest.(Ludovic Marin/Pool Photo via AP)

A police vehicle damaged during recent riots, during a visit by French President Emmanuel Macron at the central police station in Noumea, New Caledonia, Thursday, May 23, 2024. Macron has met with local officials in riot-hit New Caledonia, after crossing the globe in a high-profile show of support for the French Pacific archipelago gripped by deadly unrest.(Ludovic Marin/Pool Photo via AP)

New Caledonia’s President, Louis Mapou reacts during a meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron and New Caledonia’s elected officials and local representatives at the French High Commissioner Louis Le Franc’s residence in Noumea,New Caledonia, Thursday, May 23, 2024. Macron has landed in riot-hit New Caledonia, having crossed the globe by plane from Paris in a high-profile show of support for the French Pacific archipelago wracked by deadly unrest and where indigenous people have long sought independence from France. (Ludovic Marin/Pool Photo via AP)

French President Emmanuel Macron inspects a guard of honor on his arrival at Noumea ñ La Tontouta International airport, in Noumea, New Caledonia, Thursday, May 23, 2024. Macron has landed in riot-hit New Caledonia, having crossed the globe by plane from Paris in a high-profile show of support for the French Pacific archipelago wracked by deadly unrest and where indigenous people have long sought independence from France. (Ludovic Marin/Pool Photo via AP)

French President Emmanuel Macron takes notes during a meeting with New Caledonia’s elected officials and local representatives at the French High Commissioner Louis Le Franc’s residence in Noumea, New Caledonia, Thursday, May 23, 2024. Macron has landed in riot-hit New Caledonia, having crossed the globe by plane from Paris in a high-profile show of support for the French Pacific archipelago wracked by deadly unrest and where indigenous people have long sought independence from France. (Ludovic Marin/Pool Photo via AP)

French President Emmanuel Macron talks to a policeman upon his arrival at the central police station in Noumea, New Caledonia, Thursday, May 23, 2024. Macron has met with local officials in riot-hit New Caledonia, after crossing the globe in a high-profile show of support for the French Pacific archipelago gripped by deadly unrest.(Ludovic Marin/Pool Photo via AP)

French President Emmanuel Macron speaks during a meeting with New Caledonia’s elected officials at the French High Commissioner Louis Le Franc’s residence in Noumea, New Caledonia, Thursday, May 23, 2024. Macron has landed in riot-hit New Caledonia, having crossed the globe by plane from Paris in a high-profile show of support for the French Pacific archipelago wracked by deadly unrest and where indigenous people have long sought independence from France. (Ludovic Marin/Pool Photo via AP)

France’s Minister for Interior and Overseas Gerald Darmanin attends a meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron, New Caledonia’s elected officials and local representatives at the French High Commissioner Louis Le Franc’s residence in Noumea,New Caledonia, Thursday, May 23, 2024. Macron has landed in riot-hit New Caledonia, having crossed the globe by plane from Paris in a high-profile show of support for the French Pacific archipelago wracked by deadly unrest and where indigenous people have long sought independence from France. (Ludovic Marin/Pool Photo via AP)

French President Emmanuel Macron said Thursday on a visit to riot-hit New Caledonia that he won’t force through the contested voting reform that sparked the French Pacific territory’s deadly unrest, saying he wants local leaders to come up with an alternate agreement for the archipelago’s future.

Speaking after a day of meetings with leaders on both sides of New Caledonia’s bitter divide between Indigenous Kanaks who want independence and pro-Paris leaders who do not, Macron laid out a roadmap that he said could lead to another referendum for the territory.

Three earlier referendums between 2018 and 2021 produced “no” votes against independence. He said another could be on a new political deal for the archipelago that he hopes local leaders will agree on in coming weeks and months after protesters’ barricades are dismantled, allowing for a state of emergency to be lifted and for peace to return.

“I have pledged that this reform won’t be pushed through with force today in the current context and that we are giving ourselves a few weeks to allow for calm, the resumption of dialogue, with a view to a global agreement,” he said.

The unrest began early last week in response to legislation in the French parliament that Kanaks fear will dilute their influence by allowing some more recent arrivals in the archipelago to vote in local elections.

Both French houses of parliament in Paris have already approved the overhaul. The next step was to have been a special Congress of both houses meeting in Versailles to implement it by amending France’s Constitution. That had been expected by the end of June. But Macron’s comments in the New Caledonian capital, Nouméa, suggested he’s now willing to change tack and buy more time for an alternate deal, perhaps more palatable to pro-independence leaders who fear the electoral change will marginalize Kanak voters.

A road block in central Noumea, New Caledonia, Thursday, May 23, 2024. (Ludovic Marin/Pool Photo via AP)

Macron said he would take stock in one month “at the most.”

His announcements came at the end of a whistle-stop visit aimed at de-escalating the severest violence since the 1980s in the archipelago of 270,000 people, with decades of tensions over the issue of independence between Kanaks and the descendants of colonists and other settlers. Macron also visited in 2018 and 2023, in calmer times.

Macron repeatedly pushed for the removal of protesters’ barricades and said police sent in to help battle shootings, arson, looting and other unrest “will stay as long as necessary,” even as security services back in France focus in coming weeks on safeguarding the Paris Olympics .

His roughly 32,000-kilometer (20,000-mile) round-trip from Paris to spend the day in New Caledonia brought the weight of his office to bear on the crisis, which has left six dead and a trail of destruction.

Pro-independence Kanak leaders, who a week earlier declined Macron’s offer of talks by video, joined a meeting the French leader hosted with rival pro-Paris leaders who want New Caledonia to stay part of France, which took possession of the territory in 1853 under Emperor Napoleon III. Macron also met separately with both camps.

French President Emmanuel Macron inspects a guard of honor on his arrival at Noumea ñ La Tontouta International airport, in Noumea, New Caledonia, Thursday, May 23, 2024. (Ludovic Marin/Pool Photo via AP)

Macron called for a minute of silence for the six people killed in shootings, including two gendarmes. He then urged local leaders to use their clout to help restore order. He said a state of emergency imposed by Paris for at least 12 days on May 15 to boost police powers could only be lifted if local leaders call for a clearing away of barricades that demonstrators and people trying to protect their neighborhoods have erected in Nouméa and beyond.

“Everyone has a responsibility to really call for the lifting of the barricades, the cessation of all forms of attack, not simply for calm,” he said.

Barricades made up of charred vehicles and other debris have turned parts of Nouméa into no-go zones and made traveling around perilous, including for the sick requiring medical treatment and for families fretting about food and water after shops were pillaged and torched.

French authorities say more than 280 people have been arrested since violence flared May 13, as French lawmakers in Paris debated the contested changes to New Caledonia voter lists.

The unrest continued to simmer as Macron jetted in, despite a 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. curfew and more than 1,000 reinforcements for the archipelago’s police and gendarmes, now 3,000 strong.

People demonstrate as French President Emmanuel Macron’s motorcade drives past in in Noumea, New Caledonia, Thursday, May 23, 2024. (Ludovic Marin/Pool Photo via AP)

“I will be very clear here. These forces will remain as long as necessary. Even during the Olympic Games and Paralympics,” which open in Paris on July 26, Macron said.

At Nouméa’s central police station, Macron thanked officers for facing what he described as “an absolutely unprecedented insurrection movement.”

“No one saw it coming with this level of organization and violence,” he said. “You did your duty. And I thank you.”

Fires, looting and other violence targeting hundreds of businesses, homes, stores, public buildings and other sites in and around Nouméa have caused destruction estimated in the hundreds of millions of euros (dollars). This week, military flights evacuated stranded tourists .

Macron flew to the archipelago under pressure from politicians in France and pro-independence supporters to delay or scrap the overhaul of the voting system. It would enlarge voter numbers in provincial elections for New Caledonia’s legislature and government, adding about 25,000 voters, including people who have been residents of the archipelago for at least 10 years and others born there.

Opponents fear the measure will benefit pro-France politicians in New Caledonia and further marginalize Kanaks, who once suffered from strict segregation policies and widespread discrimination. Supporters say the proposed reform is democratically important for people with roots in New Caledonia who can’t currently vote for local representatives.

Macron in the past has facilitated dialogue between the divided pro- and anti-independence camps. France’s efforts included the three referendums that asked voters if they wanted independence. They voted no each time, but the last referendum in 2021 was boycotted by pro-independence forces.

Rush reported from Portland, Oregon. Leicester reported from Paris.