Newly-elected President Hollande of France, who promises to pull French troops out of Afghanistan by the end of the year, missed President Obama’s remarks on Afghanistan during the NATO session this morning.
“There was an empty chair when President Obama was talking about Afghanistan at the beginning of the session — the only empty one,” the foreign pooler said, observing Hollande’s absence. “He arrived after Obama’s speech.”
Hollande was apparently late because he met with the Polish president and the United Nations Secretary General in separate meetings. “According to peoplee who followed him during the campaign, it is well known that he often arrives late,” the pooler added.
Obama and Hollande disagree on Afghan policy, which they discussed at the G8 summit over the weekend, as well. “[W]e agreed that even as we transition out of a combat phase in Afghanistan that it’s important that we sustain our commitment to helping Afghans build security and continue down the path of development,” Obama said of their meeting last week.
But French troops will not contribute to that security. “I reminded President Obama that I made a promise to the French people to the effect that our combat troops would be withdrawn from Afghanistan by the end of 2012,” the French president told reporters after Obama spoke. “That being said, we will continue to support Afghanistan in a different way, our support will take a different format, and all of that will be done in good understanding with our allies within ISAF.”
