Emmanuel Macron in his office at the Elysee Palace during his telephone conversation with Joe Biden following the US presidential election, November 10, 2020 (illustration).

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Jacques Witt / SIPA

The phone call Sunday evening between Joe Biden and Emmanuel Macron gave rise to a "friendly and working conversation", according to the entourage of the French head of state.

For an hour and in English, the two presidents "noted a great convergence of views" on major international issues, in particular to fight against Covid-19 "within the framework of the WHO" and on the climate after return. of the United States in the Paris Agreement, said the Elysee.

For their first telephone interview since the American president took office, the two heads of state also stated "their desire to act together for peace in the Near and Middle East, in particular on the Iranian nuclear issue", specified the presidency.

"Our oldest ally"

For its part, the White House indicated that Joe Biden affirmed "his desire to strengthen bilateral ties" with France, "our oldest ally", but also "the transatlantic relationship" through "the NATO and the United States' partnership with the European Union ”.

"They also agreed to work together on shared priorities in foreign policy, particularly on China, the Middle East, Russia and the Sahel," he said.

On all these subjects, the two presidents "have agreed to stay in very close contact in the coming weeks", according to the Elysee, even if no physical meeting can be fixed for the moment because of the Covid-19 crisis.

Emmanuel Macron and Joe Biden spoke for the first time on November 10, after the election of the President of the United States.

But the French president, who came to power in 2017, has never met his counterpart who was Barack Obama's vice-president between 2009 and 2017. Since his arrival at the White House, Joe Biden has already spoken with Canadian Prime Ministers Justin Trudeau and British Prime Ministers Boris Johnson.

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