Against the backdrop of a turquoise sea on the beach of Carbis Bay, in Cornwall (United Kingdom), where the G7 summit takes place until Sunday, Emmanuel Macron and Joe Biden projected the image of a budding idyll.
For this first meeting, the two presidents did not skimp on the symbols of agreement.
Read also: At the G7, the tone is rising between London and the Europeans
From the opening of the summit chaired by British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, Emmanuel Macron grabbed Joe Biden, affectionately surrounding him with his arm while taking a few steps both on the beach, during the official photo shoot, despite the barrier gestures.
Saturday afternoon, during a tête-à-tête on the terrace of the "
lodge
" of the American president in the luxury hotel which welcomes the leaders, they indulged in a long handshake, as if to forget the very manly one that the French and Donald Trump had exchanged in other times.
"
We are on the same line
"
“
The United States - I have already said it - we are back,
” assured Joe Biden, in implicit reference to his predecessor. “
Things are going well, I think. We are on the same line,
”he added. "
Yes, absolutely," Macron approved in English. It's good to have an American president who is part of the club and is very keen to cooperate. You have shown that leadership is partnership.
"
Despite latent rivalries, trade conflicts not completely buried or nuances on geopolitics, especially against China, Biden recognizes the strength of Europe.
“
I think the European Union is a very strong and dynamic entity
,” he said.
Not only in economic terms, but also as a “
backbone
” of NATO.
He will participate in the summit of the Alliance, so decried by Donald Trump, Monday in Brussels, before a summit with the EU, the next day.
He is then due to meet Vladimir Poutin in Geneva on Wednesday.
Read also: Putin hopes Biden will be less impulsive than Trump
The charm offensive of the 46th President of the United States towards his allies is working, for this first face-to-face summit for two years. "
A great breath of fresh air
", according to Boris Johnson, who had nevertheless not spared his advances towards Donald Trump. It is funny to see, behind the scenes of the G7 meeting, the Briton trying to compete for the favors of the American president with Emmanuel Macron. Biden decided between them, by sending his first invitation to the White House next July to Angela Merkel, before her departure from the German chancellery.
Basically, Joe Biden arrived by promising 500 million doses of vaccine for poor countries, half of the G7 commitment. “
Very good news
” for Emmanuel Macron, who was impatient with the vaccine nationalism of the United States. The US president called for continued budget support for economies. He also proposed to his counterparts to counter the
Chinese “
silk roads
” with an initiative intended to support the development of green infrastructures throughout the world.
