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WASHINGTON (AP) — Presidents Joe Biden and Emmanuel Macron are celebrating the long-standing U.S.-French relationship, but these are friends with differences. The French person is utilizing his sojourn to Washington to sharply knock aspects of his ally’s signature clime instrumentality arsenic a atrocious woody for Europe.
Biden was to grant Macron with the archetypal authorities meal of his presidency Thursday evening. First, the presidents are holding talks successful the Oval Office that officials from some sides said were expected to mostly halfway connected efforts to enactment agreed successful their effect to Russia’s warfare successful Ukraine and to coordinate their attack to an progressively assertive China.
Hundreds of radical gathered connected the South Lawn connected a sunny, chilly greeting for a pomp-filled authoritative accomplishment ceremonial that included a 21-gun salute and reappraisal of troops. Ushers distributed tiny French and American flags to the guests who gathered to ticker Biden and Macron commencement the authorities visit.
Both leaders astatine the ceremonial paid tribute to their countries’ agelong confederation portion acknowledging the hard moments up arsenic the 2 nations conflict to support Western unity that is showing immoderate deterioration 9 months into Russia’s penetration of Ukraine.
“The choices we marque contiguous and the years up volition find the people of our satellite for decades to come,” Biden said. “And the United States could not inquire for a amended spouse successful this enactment successful France.”
Amid the speech of unity, differences were shadowing the visit.
Macron has made wide that helium and different European leaders are acrophobic astir the incentives successful a caller climate-related instrumentality that favour American-made clime technology, including electrical vehicles.
He criticized the legislation, known arsenic the Inflation Reduction Act, during a luncheon Wednesday with U.S. lawmakers and again during a code astatine the French Embassy. Macron said that portion the Biden administration’s efforts to curb clime alteration should beryllium applauded, the subsidies would beryllium an tremendous setback for European companies.
“The choices that person been made ... are choices that volition fragment the West,” Macron said. He said the authorities “creates specified differences betwixt the United States of America and Europe that each those who enactment successful galore companies (in the U.S.), they volition conscionable think, ‘We don’t marque investments immoderate much connected the different broadside of the Atlantic.’”
He besides said large concern nations request to bash much to code clime alteration and beforehand biodiversity.
In an interrogation that aired Thursday connected ABC’s “Good Morning America,” Macron said the U.S. and France were moving unneurotic good connected the warfare successful Ukraine and geopolitics overall, but not connected “some economical issues.” The U.S. clime measure and semiconductor legislation, helium said, were not decently coordinated with Europe and created “the lack of a level playing field.”
Earlier, helium had criticized a woody reached astatine a caller climate acme successful Egypt successful which the United States and different affluent nations agreed to assistance wage for the harm that an overheating satellite is inflicting connected mediocre countries. The woody includes fewer details connected however it volition beryllium paid for, and Macron said a much broad attack is needed — “not conscionable a caller money we decided which volition not beryllium funded and adjacent if it is funded, it volition not beryllium rightly allocated.″
The blunt comments travel different debased constituent past twelvemonth aft Biden announced a woody to merchantability atomic submarines to Australia, undermining a declaration for France to merchantability diesel-powered submarines. The narration has recovered since past with Biden acknowledging a clumsy rollout of the submarine woody and Macron emerging arsenic 1 of Biden’s strongest European allies successful the Western effect to Russia’s penetration of Ukraine.
Macron astatine the accomplishment ceremonial stressed the request for the U.S. and France to support the West agreed arsenic the warfare continues.
“Our 2 nations are sisters successful the combat for freedom,” Macron declared.
As for the Inflation Reduction Act, the European Union has expressed interest that taxation credits, including those aimed astatine encouraging Americans to bargain electrical vehicles, would discriminate against European producers and interruption World Trade Organization rules.
Germany’s Economy Minister Robert Habeck said Wednesday that helium believes parts of the instrumentality aren’t compatible with the WTO.
“I judge that this presumption is mostly shared by those countries that are committed to a multilateral trading order,” helium told reporters successful Berlin. “The Americans cognize that we spot it that mode and the European Commission volition person told them this too.”
Macron planned to marque his lawsuit to U.S. officials against the subsidies, underscoring that it’s important for “Europe, similar the U.S., to travel retired stronger ... not weaker” arsenic the satellite emerges from the tumult of the pandemic and Russia’s penetration of Ukraine, according to a elder French authorities authoritative
Macron besides planned to question exceptions to the U.S. authorities for immoderate European cleanable vigor manufacturers, according to a French authoritative who requested anonymity nether the presidency’s customary practices.
Biden medication officials person countered that the authorities goes a agelong mode successful helping the U.S. to conscionable planetary goals to curb clime change.
Macron raised eyebrows earlier this period successful a code astatine a acme successful Bangkok erstwhile helium referred to the U.S. and China arsenic “two large elephants” that are the cusp of creating “a large occupation for the remainder of jungle.” His sojourn to Washington besides comes arsenic some the U.S. and France are keeping an oculus connected China aft protests broke out past play successful respective mainland cities and Hong Kong implicit Beijing’s “zero COVID” strategy.
Macron and his wife, Brigitte, came to the U.S. bearing gifts cautiously tailored to their American hosts, including a vinyl and CD of the archetypal soundtrack from the 1966 movie “Un Homme et une Femme,” which the Bidens went to spot connected their archetypal date, according to the palace.
Macron volition beryllium hosted by Harris for a luncheon astatine the State Department earlier the evening authorities meal for immoderate 350 guests, a glitzy gala to instrumentality spot successful an tremendous tented pavilion constructed connected the White House South Lawn.
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Corbet reported from Paris. Associated Press writers Frank Jordans successful Berlin and Chris Megerian and Colleen Long contributed to this report.
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