Macron and Kamala Harris hail "a new era" for Franco-American relations

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Emmanuel Macron and US Vice President Kamala Harris insisted on Wednesday on the "crucial" cooperation between France and the United States in the face of "the start of a new era", two months after the Australian submarine crisis.

To read alsoAustralian submarines: the underside of the breach of the "contract of the century"

This statement by the French president preceded a 1.5 hour interview with Kamala Harris, who arrived in Paris on Tuesday for a five-day visit.

She will attend the ceremonies of November 11, at the Paris Peace Forum on Thursday and at a Conference on Libya on Friday.

His visit should make it possible to complete the reconciliation between the two countries initiated by the meeting between Emmanuel Macron and Joe Biden on the sidelines of the G20 in Rome on October 29.

"We had a fruitful meeting in Rome a few days ago with President Biden who showed the way for the weeks, months and years to come," added Emmanuel Macron, at the beginning of this interview, conducted in the presence of the Minister of Foreign Affairs Jean-Yves Le Drian and the Minister for Gender Equality Elisabeth Moreno.

“The French are very proud to have you” here, he said.

"I think, and we share this vision, that we are at the beginning of a new era rich in challenges but also in opportunities", replied the American vice-president.

"Common desire to be leaders"

"When France and the United States have worked together in the past, it has always been very successful, thanks to our common values ​​and priorities," she added, indicating that the two countries "have a common desire to be leaders on the globe to assist other nations in these tragic times ”of pandemic.

"Building on your important discussion with President Biden, I am delighted that we will, in the days to come, continue to work together" and "renew the attention given to our partnership".

They were to discuss security, pandemic, climate and space, among others.

Since her arrival on Tuesday, Kamala Harris has notably visited the Institut Pasteur where she met American and French researchers working on Covid-19.

In mid-September, the United States and Australia inflicted a real snub on Paris by sealing a defense alliance in the Pacific, Washington blowing a huge submarine contract initially promised to France.

Before Kamala Harris, the American Secretary of State Antony Blinken then the White House adviser for national security Jake Sullivan had succeeded in Paris to appease the anger of France, before the Biden-Macron meeting in Rome there is ten days.