Before the G7 and the NATO summit, Macron defends his foreign policy orientations

Emmanuel Macron, June 10, 2021, on the eve of the G7.

REUTERS - PASCAL ROSSIGNOL

Text by: RFI Follow

4 min

G7 meeting this Friday, June 11, NATO summit from Monday, first trip abroad by US President Joe Biden.

It is a big diplomatic sequence which marks this week, underlined Thursday by the press conference of Emmanuel Macron.

On the eve of these two international meetings, the French president came to defend his foreign policy orientations in front of journalists, and he took the opportunity to announce the end of Operation Barkhane in the Sahel.

Publicity

Read more

According to Emmanuel Macron, Barkhane is no longer adapted to the reality of the fighting.

It ends as an external operation of France and is transformed into a support and support system for the armies of the Sahel countries.

It numbered 5,000 French soldiers, there will be only a few hundred left in Operation Takuba, which brings together special forces from a dozen European countries.

► To read also: 

Emmanuel Macron announces "the end of Operation Barkhane as an external operation"

On NATO, the French president has not resumed his shock expression, he had spoken in 2019 of an organism in a state of brain death.

But he maintains that it is necessary to clean up and draw up a real strategic inventory.

Russia, the Middle East, Africa, China, he said, NATO must know who to work with, who its enemies are, and redefine its framework for cooperation.

We need to say who our enemy is, and where ...

Emmanuel Macron and his vision of NATO

Vincent Souriau

As for the G7, dedicated to the consequences of the coronavirus pandemic, Emmanuel Macron pleads for a greater effort in terms of vaccines.

We must, he says keep our commitments vis-à-vis Africa and all countries in difficulty, accelerate the donation of doses, including from the pharmaceutical industry, slips the head of the 'State.

Because the laboratories, which have received enormous funding, must also play the game of solidarity.

► Read also: 

The United States gives 500 million vaccines to poor countries

Newsletter

Receive all international news directly in your mailbox

I subscribe

Follow all the international news by downloading the RFI application

google-play-badge_FR

  • France

  • Emmanuel Macron

  • Nato

  • G7