French President Emmanuel Macron met with Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and other congressional leaders Thursday during a busy state visit to Washington, D.C.
Macron and Pelosi praised each other’s leadership at a press conference preceding a bicameral and bipartisan event at the Capitol Thursday afternoon. The French leader spent the morning at the White House in discussions with President Joe Biden and will conclude the evening at the first state dinner of Biden’s presidency.
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“Thank you for your leadership, that resounding call to action that you gave at COP 27 in Egypt, for holding the line and giving great guidance when it comes to Putin’s disgraceful invasion of Ukraine,” Pelosi told Macron. “So, we look forward to continuing to work together for greater prosperity for our countries, for global security, for protecting democracy, for saving the planet. We have great work to do, we have great respect for the leadership of President Macron, and it is a great honor once again to welcome him to the Capitol of the United States.”
French President @EmmanuelMacron walks through Statuary Hall with congressional leaders following photo opp w/ Speaker Pelosi pic.twitter.com/MUtoGB2YGm
— Virginia Aabram (@VirginiaAabram) December 1, 2022
Macron said he was delighted to be back in the United States after his first state visit four years ago, remarking on the strong bond between America and France. He commended Pelosi’s tenure as speaker as she prepares to step down and offered his condolences for the attack on her husband last month, saying Paul Pelosi was a “direct victim of the craziness of our times.”
“As you decide to open a new page of your life, I want to pay tribute to your wonderful leadership and your role as speaker of the House,” he said. “During these years, you were not just speaker of the House here in this democracy, you were a great defender of our democratic values.”
Macron also touched on the war in Ukraine, an issue he discussed with Biden on Thursday morning. He referred to the U.S. and France as “brothers in arms once more” against Russian aggression during a joint press conference with Biden.
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“Together, we work very hard to help Ukraine after the aggression from Russia,” he said at the press conference with Nancy Pelosi. “We work very hard to address the direct and indirect consequences of this war regarding food security and energy, and together, we work very hard when health or climate is at stake.”
The two departed together to attend the meeting with members of the House and Senate. On Friday, Macron will begin the last leg of his trip in New Orleans to discuss French language education.
