President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden will host French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte for a state visit on December 1, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre confirmed during a a press briefing on Monday.
Why is it important: It will be the first official state dinner hosted by the Biden administration — coming later than those of previous administrations due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
What they say : Visit “Will underscore the deep and enduring relationship between the United States and France, our oldest ally,” Jean-Pierre said.
- “Our close relationship with France is based on our common democratic values, our economic ties and our cooperation in defense and security,” she added.
- “Leaders will discuss our close and continued partnership on shared global challenges and areas of bilateral interest.”
- “We are working closely with France on the full range of global challenges, as you all know, including the war in Ukraine.”
The big picture: This will be Macron’s second state visit to the United States, following a previous visit in 2018 under the Trump administration.
- Biden has previously had conversations with Macron while in office, including at the United Nations General Assembly last week.
- The United States has made efforts to repair some of the fallout from last year’s Australia-US-UK (AUKUS) submarine deal, which left France blindsided.
- Jean-Pierre acknowledged that the pandemic has delayed many traditional in-person events hosted by an administration, but noted that international leaders have visited the White House on official working visits during the administration.
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