US Vice President Kamala Harris said on Monday that she did not discuss the AUKUS defense pact during her meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron
WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 12th November, 2021) US Vice President Kamala Harris said on Monday that she did not discuss the AUKUS defense pact during her meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron.
"That was not the purpose of this trip," she told reporters during a press conference.
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 AUKUS.
Harris noted that she had discussed with Macron the issues that are challenging for both countries. "We talked about our mutual interest in Western Hemisphere ... We talked extensively about our mutual interests," she said.
They discussed Africa and bilateral and multilateral alliances, she added.
In September, the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia unveiled their trilateral defense pact, which saw Canberra ditch a bilateral $66 billion submarine deal with Paris.
