Macron arrives at the White House on the first state visit of the Biden administration

CNN
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US President Joe Biden participates in a series of events as part of his job First state visit Since taking office, welcoming the arrival French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte Macron, Thursday.

Macron’s trip to the White House marks the second time as guests of honor on a state visit, having done so for the first time during Donald Trump’s administration in 2018. Thursday’s agenda is filled with official fanfare, with a slate of events expected to highlight the strength of the crucial relationship between The United States and its oldest ally.

Macron arrived at the White House for an official arrival ceremony Thursday morning.

The Elysees announced Thursday morning that Macron had presented the president with four gifts: a vinyl tape and a CD of the soundtrack to the movie the couple watched on their first date — “Un Homme et une Femme,” a glass of the House of Christofle symbolizing the ties between France and the United States, and a jacket from the House of Commons. Saint James and watch, LIP Horlogerie. He also gave the first lady a copy of “Madame Bovary” and Albert Camus’s “The Plague, Fall, Exile, and the Kingdom, and Selected Essays.” Vice President Kamala Harris gave a model of an Ariane V rocket.

Macron follows by returning to visit another country Significant recovery in US-French relations Compared to just a year ago, when Macron took the unusual step of recalling his ambassador to Washington over a US-Australian submarine deal that stunned the French and cost them a billion-dollar defense contract. The rift appears to be very much behind them, and Biden and Macron have deepened their relationship further over the past year in their united efforts to combat Russia’s war on Ukraine.

“Throughout all of these events, you can expect to showcase our long shared history as allies, as well as our deep partnership… around the most pressing global challenges of today and tomorrow,” White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told reporters Monday. “While there are specific areas where we expect it will make progress during this visit, I would like to stress that this visit is very much a celebration of the strong foundation of this relationship: a relationship that is rooted in our history, from the beginnings of our country, while also heading squarely into the future – which is A very dynamic and exciting future that we look forward to.”

Most of the action surrounding Macron’s state visit takes place on Thursday.

After the official arrival ceremony at the White House, Biden and Macron will hold bilateral talks. The two leaders are set to discuss a number of issues including topics of mutual interest – such as Ukraine, Iran and China, before participating in a joint press conference.

“I fully expect, more so here, that the China issue will be high on the agenda over the next couple of days with President Macron here,” Kirby told reporters Wednesday.

US and French officials do not expect the visit to produce any significant results, but both sides view it as an opportunity for the two countries to deepen their partnership on a wide range of global challenges. The two sides will also advance the working group discussions launched in the wake of last year’s submarine issue to intensify cooperation on space, cyberspace and energy issues.

However, there are areas of disagreement that are expected to emerge.

One of the biggest points of tension will be the over billions of dollars in subsidies for electric vehicles included in the Inflation Reduction Act, which applies only to those manufactured in North America. Macron has criticized the measure as protectionist, and French officials have said he plans to raise the issue in meetings with Biden and leaders in Congress.

On Thursday, Jill Biden and Brigitte Macron are scheduled to visit Planet Word, a language-focused museum in Washington. A French official also said that President Macron is expected to attend a lunch at the US State Department and meet a bipartisan group of congressmen.

On Thursday evening, the Macrons will return to the White House for The first state dinner for the Biden administration. Among the French guests are film director Claude Lelouch, Louvre director Laurence de Cars, and LVMH CEO Bernard Arnault, according to the French official.

The White House didn’t say who it invited to a lavish dinner Thursday night, but said in a preview that New Orleans native John-Baptiste will present music selections.

On Wednesday, Harris welcomed President Macron to NASA to celebrate the two countries’ collaboration in space. The First Family also held a private dinner with the Macron family before the state dinner on Thursday.

During the final leg of their visit to the United States, the Macrons will fly to New Orleans on Friday to highlight new efforts to expand French language education in the United States.

This story and title has been updated with additional developments.