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First Official U.S. Visit by Nicolas Sarkozy

Justin Vaïsse
Justin Vaïsse Former Brookings Expert, Director, Policy Planning Staff - French Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs

November 6, 2007

During his November visit to the US, French President Nicolas Sarkozy discussed world affairs with US President George W. Bush. But the official trip was also intended to show that Paris has emerged as a close US partner following the tensions between Paris and Washington over the 2003 US invasion of Iraq. At that time, Sarkozy’s predecessor, Jacques Chirac, was at the forefront of the international diplomatic campaign against the war.

In Washington, Bush and Sarkozy talked about Iran’s nuclear ambitions, the Middle East, Lebanon, Kosovo, Burma. They also discussed the fall of the American dollar, which has fueled the rise of the euro.

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