US, France edge closer to rapprochement after AUKUS spat

By MATTHEW LEE
AP Diplomatic Writer

PARIS (AP) — France and the United States are edging closer toward rapprochement after the Biden administration’s exclusion of Washington’s oldest ally from a new Indo-Pacific security initiative ignited French anger. President Emmanuel Macron and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken met Tuesday in Paris to explore ways to overcome the rift that led France to take the unprecedented step of recalling its ambassador to Washington. Macron and Blinken explored potential U.S.-French cooperation in the Indo-Pacific and other areas. The meeting was the highest-level in-person contact between both countries since the controversary erupted last month with the announcement of a three-way agreement between Australia, Britain and the U.S., known as AUKUS, that left out France and other European nations.