US President Joe Biden and French President Emmanuel Macron held their first formal meeting in person on Saturday at the G7 summit.  During their meeting, the two leaders discussed a number of issues, ranging from global health security efforts to end the coronavirus pandemic across the globe, climate change, the global tax rate, NATO, and counterterrorism, reported CNN quoting the White House.

The White House released a readout of the meeting between two leaders Saturday afternoon, which noted that both Biden and Macron highlighted their dedication to ending the ongoing pandemic, through participating in the G7 commitment to donate COVID-19 vaccines to countries in need and build back better global health security.

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In a statement, the White House said that President Biden expressed his appreciation for France’s leadership on climate issues through the Paris Agreement. Both leaders underscored their dedication to achieve ambitious outcomes at the COP26 Summit in Glasgow in November. 

According to the White House, the meeting lasted more than an hour where they discussed how to strengthen and modernize NATO and close cooperation on counterterrorism. 

During the bilateral meeting on Saturday, French President Macron thanked Biden for the earlier informal discussion on Friday, when they met in person for the first time. Macron said, “We have to deal with this pandemic and the COVID19. We have to face a lot of challenges, a lot of crises, climate change, and for all these issues, what we need is cooperation.”  He also praised Biden for being “part of the club and willing to cooperate. ” 

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Biden said that they are on the same page and he has a strong feeling about the “cohesion of NATO” and expressed that the European Union is incredibly strong and vibrant. “I think that what you demonstrate is that leadership is a partnership, and we do appreciate,” the French president added. On being asked if allies think America is back, Biden looked at Macron and said, “ask him,” to which Macron replied “definitely.”

According to the White House statement, the formal meeting in Cornwall, England, come on the heels of a less formal aside conversion at the summit. On Friday, part of a one-on-one conversation between the leaders was documented on camera, with Macron appearing impassioned and linking arms with Biden.