US – Visit by Jean-Yves Le Drian (Washington, 18 December 2017)

In the course of his visit, Mr. Le Drian will deepen the level of the regular talks he holds with his counterpart Rex Tillerson, whom he hosted in Paris on December 8. He will also meet with National Security Advisor H.R. McMaster, Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross, and Senior Advisor to the President Jared Kushner, as well as several think tank representatives.

During these discussions, Mr. Le Drian will evoke our cooperation in every area, beginning with counterterrorism and the main regional crises:

• Syria: The foreign minister will discuss the situation in the wake of the first attempts at discussions between the regime and the opposition in Geneva.
• Lebanon: He will review our support for that country following the International Support Group meeting held in Paris on December 8.
• Iran: Mr. Le Drian will reiterate our commitment to a rigorous implementation of the JCPOA, as agreed on by all the parties; our unease with Iran’s activism in the region; and our concern over the pursuit of the Iranian ballistic missile program.
• Middle East peace process: He will reaffirm our method and goals, especially with regard to Jerusalem.
• Libya and the Sahel: He will bring up the situation in Libya and the international community’s mobilization for the Sahel. In this connection, he will present the results of the G5 Sahel summit held in La Celle-Saint-Cloud on December 13.
• North Korea: The minister will restate our firm stance with respect to the nuclear and ballistic missile threat.

During his visit, Mr. Le Drian will also raise the topic of our cooperation on global issues. In particular, he will present the results of the One Planet summit on December 12.

France and the United States are historic allies. The strength of their ties has been recalled on numerous occasions during this centennial of the U.S. entry into WWI alongside France. Our countries maintain a close dialogue in all areas and at all levels.