Vice President Kamala Harris continued the administration’s push to try to sooth relations with France after the clash over a US submarine deal on her diplomatic visit Wednesday – and by all outward signs was enjoying the task.
She exclaimed, “I’m very glad to be here in Paris,” when she was asked by a reporter whether she must make any changes.
She was warmly greeted by French President Emmanuel Macron on the steps of Elysee Palace – just days after President Joe Biden also sought to mend fences with the nation often called America’s oldest ally.
Macron was greeted by her motorcade as she made her way down the steps. They exchanged warm greetings, Harris grinning and smiling as Harris first touched their hands.
France’s President Emmanuel Macron welcomes Kamala Harris (L) before a meeting at Paris’ Elysee Palace, on November 10, 2020. Harris embarks on charm offensive to try and reestablish relations with the U.S. after tensions rose over new U.S. security arrangements with Britain, Australia and Canada.
The leaders waved to a crowd of journalists who were waiting in line to capture the event.
Before a bilateral meeting, the two agreed to pose for cameras.
Macron told Harris in English: ‘You’re more than welcome not just in this palace …’ and added: ‘I can tell you that the French people are extremely proud to have you here.’
He didn’t respond directly to a reporter’s question about whether the U.S.-France relationship had been repaired, but he said his meeting with President Joe Biden in Rome had been ‘very fruitful’ and had paved the way for cooperation in ‘the coming weeks, months and, I have to say, years.’
Harris also mentioned that meeting.
‘Building on the great conversation that you and President Biden had, I look forward to the next few days. We’ll work together and renew the focus that we’ve always had on a partnership and a benefit to the people of France and the people of the United States and the people of the world,’ she said.
She exclaimed: “I believe, and I think, we share the belief that we are in a new age, which brings us many challenges but also offers many opportunities. We have had great success working together in solving problems and identifying opportunities because we share the same values and priorities.
France’s President Emmanuel Macron meets Vice President Kamala Harris, before a bilateral meeting at Elysee Palace Paris France (November 10, 2021).
Harris said, “I believe in and think that we both share the belief we are at a new time.”
After President Joe Biden met with Macron in Rome, the two countries also attempted to repair relations. Australia had secretly negotiated security agreements that included Australia bailing out of an agreement for $60 billion to buy U.S. submarine technology and Australia paying off $600 million to finance French diesel-electric submarines.
Biden acknowledged at the meeting that American actions were ‘clumsy’, and they ‘did not do it with much grace. Biden gave Macron a pat on his back.
Harris thinks there’s more to it than U.S./French relations. Harris visited the Institut Pasteur in Paris and addressed meetings about Libya. Her own approval rating was down at 28 per cent in a new USA Today / Suffolk University poll – 10 points below Biden’s 38 per cent rating.
Harris took part in Wednesday’s wreath-laying ceremony at Suresnes American Cemetery in Paris, Hauts-de-Seine.
Harris and Doug Emhoff were part of a four day charm offensive to France that included Harris attending the memorial event.
France’s cemetery contains 1,541 American soldiers, who died during World War I, as well as 24 other unknown victims of World War II.
The ceremony comes the day before Veteran’s Day in the U.S. and Armistice Day, when World War I officially ended as Allied powers signed a ceasefire with Germany in Compiégne, France on November 11, 1918.
The countries that observe Armistice Day are, among others, Australia, New Zealand and Canada.
Vice President Kamala Harris (left), and second man Doug Emhoff (right), participate in wreath-laying ceremonies at Suresnes American Cemetery.
Buried at the cemetery in the suburbs of Paris are 1,541 American troops killed in World War I and 24 unknown dead of World War II
Harris stands in front of a wreath at the Suresnes American Cemetery on Wednesday to honor U.S. troops who fell in World
The rising tensions surrounding the U.S. sub-marine pact with Australia, Britain and France (dubbed AUKUS) will see Harris meet with Macron later Wednesday afternoon.
This deal could be achieved because Australia secretly negotiated to purchase U.S.-designed submarines. It also subsequently renounced the $60 billion deal with Naval Group, a French defense contractor.
Jean-Yves Le Drain, French Foreign Minister, called the Indo-Pacific security pact a “stab in the back” and Macron, despite France being an all-all ally, recalls his Ambassadors from Australia and the U.S.
This is after Trump, then-President, canceled a commemoration in 2018 for U.S. marines and soldiers who died during World War I at Aisne-Marne American Cemetery. Belleau (France) was the venue.
Melania, the president of the United States and Melania the former first lady were supposed to pay respects at the cemetary 50 miles east from Paris. However, the White House announced that the visit was cancelled due to inclement weather.
Superintendent Keith Stadler (right) speaks with Harris and Emhoff during a tour of the Suresnes American Cemetery on Wednesday
Vice President is visiting Paris to conduct a charm offensive in order to repair relations with Australia, Britain, and the United States after the AUKUS submarine agreement was made.
Harris takes part in laying a wreath Wednesday at the Suresnes American Cemetery in the eve of Veterans Day in the U.S. and WWI Armistice Day in France
The first couple (left) and Superintendent Stadler observe the cemetery’s top from their balcony during a Wednesday tour. This is the security detail that is depicted on right
Harris and Superintendent Stradler hold Inez Crittenden’s headstone. Inez was the leader of the U.S. Telephone Corps France in World War I.
Harris, who is now in Paris to fix another issue related to the agreement with Australia that Macron has been unable to reach, is currently there.
At their Wednesday meeting, Harris and Macron will discuss U.S. support of France’s military operation against Jihadists in Africa. They also plan to talk about French-backed plans for strengthening European defense capabilities.
Emhoff and his wife will part ways after the wreath-laying ceremony and Emhoff and Harris will meet in Paris with U.S. Embassy staff members and their families as Harris prepares to meet Macron.
On Tuesday, the vice president met with French and American scientists who were working on COVID-19 global readiness at Paris’ Pasteur Institute.
Harris will give a speech on Thursday to the Paris Peace Forum. On Friday, Harris will take part in the Paris Conference on Libya.
Emhoff and Harris were at the Paris institute on Tuesday afternoon and met James Philip Di Santo (a French immunologist) and Emhoff (an American researcher).
Di Santo stated that they are trying to understand why different people experience coronavirus symptoms and results and relied heavily on nasal swabs for their research.
Harris joked she is ‘intimately familiar’ with nasal swabs – the easiest and most common way to test for a positive COVID-19 case.
Harris was asked by reporter, ‘What is your message to President Macron?’
“It’s good to be here in France, and I’m looking forward to many many productive days reinforcing our strength relationship,” she said, but she evaded a question about how she would ‘ease tensions with the French president.
Following the tour and wreath-laying, Harris will be preparing for a bilateral meet with French President Emanuel Macron. Emhoff will also visit Paris with his families.
Harris and Emhoff visited the Institut Pasteur, Paris on Tuesday in order to meet and tour with American and French scientists who are working on COVID-19 global readiness
A French reporter interrogated Harris about reconciliation strategies with France after the AUKUS split, and claimed that Pasteur was proof of Washington-Paris collaboration.
Harris agreed with Harris and talked about science and politics. It involves hypotheses and inquiry, not just the presentation of a plan.
“Scientists work with hypothesis.” This is something I love. “They start with a hypothesis, and then they try it,” she explained, noting that everyone gets together to discuss it if it fails.
‘With us in government we campaign with the plan – uppercase T uppercase P,’ Harris added, claiming there’s not much room for innovation and fixes if there are ‘glitches.’
She stated that this was an overall statement, and not comments about Bidne’s Build Back better agenda which failed to pass in Congress’ $3.5 trillion welfare and social spending package.
When it comes to policymaking, she stated that there would be glitches as well as mistakes. ‘If you don’t make the same mistake twice … that’s a good process and we should encourage it.’