US, France Reaffirm Commitment To Cooperate On Counterterrorism - Harris

US, France Reaffirm Commitment to Cooperate on Counterterrorism - Harris

Washington and Paris have reaffirmed their commitment to cooperate on counterterrorism, US Vice President Kamala Harris said on Friday after her meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron

WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 12th November, 2021) Washington and Paris have reaffirmed their commitment to cooperate on counterterrorism, US Vice President Kamala Harris said on Friday after her meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron.

Harris began her visit to Paris on Tuesday. The following day, she held bilateral talks with Macron in a follow-up to the latter's meeting with President Joe Biden, as the two countries work to mend relations after a dispute related to the AUKUS defense pact.

"We renewed our commitment to work with each other on counterterrorism," she said.

France and the US also reaffirmed their commitment to the fight against terrorism in the Sahel region, she added.

"We have a mutual concern there that relates to the ongoing challenges that the countries in the Sahel (region) are facing ... Among the many priorities that we share is a concern about what we need to do to address potential violence and ongoing violence," she said.

Sahel region, which is notorious for terrorist activities, has high levels of poverty, and regular outbreaks of violence. Over the past three years, the Sahel countries Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger have seen a surge in armed violence, as a result of which over 1.4 million people more than half of whom are under 15 have been displaced in the region.

France has been conducting Operation Barkhane against terrorist groups in the Sahel region since August 1, 2014.

In June, Macron announced changes to the country's military presence in the region, including plans to finish the counterterrorism operation by the first quarter of 2022. The French leader said that a broader international effort would be made instead.