Mr Macron is expecting Mr Biden to make a new “commitment” to supporting French anti-terrorist operations in the Sahel region of Africa, according to a top French official. Mr Biden and Mr Macron are set to discuss new ways to cooperate in the Indo-Pacific, a move meant to soothe French tempers over being excised from the US-UK-Australia partnership that accompanied the submarine deal. The US-led submarine contract supplanted a prior French deal to supply Australia with its own submarines. US officials, from Mr Biden on down, have worked for weeks to try to soothe tensions, though not so much for Mr Biden to visit France himself to try to reset relations with Paris. He said he expected Mr Biden and Mr Macron to issue a joint statement outlining areas of mutual cooperation, including the Indo-Pacific and economic and technological cooperation.

Source: The Hindu October 29, 2021 15:25 UTC