Macron's Washington visit crucial to Franco-American relations

Source: France 24

April 23, 2018 at 15:32

Macron's Washington visit crucial to Franco-American relations - France 24

US President Donald Trump on Monday welcomes his French counterpart, Emmanuel Macron, to Washington for a state visit aimed at cementing ties between their two countries.

Impressed by the warm welcome he received for the Bastille Day ceremony last July in Paris, the US president has returned the favour by making Emmanuel Macron the first foreign leader of the Trump era to receive a state visit – a prestigious honour that speaks volumes in the world of diplomacy.
Trump has invited his counterpart to Mount Vernon, the former residence of the first US president, for what the White House called a “private couples dinner” on Monday evening along with first ladies Melania Trump and Brigitte Macron. The choice of Mount Vernon is highly symbolic for the Franco-American relationship: It was there that the Marquis de Lafayette (one of the eight honourary citizens of the United States) used to visit his friend George Washington, who is buried at his erstwhile home. In 1790, Lafayette gave Washington the key to the Bastille as a symbol of their friendship, and it can still be seen by visitors to Mount Vernon today.

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