Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III met with France’s Minister of the Armed Forces Sébastien Lecornu for their first meeting at the Pentagon. Minister Lecornu’s visit occurred on the margins of President Macron’s State Visit to Washington and meeting with President Biden on December 1.
Secretary Austin and Minister Lecornu reinforced the importance of upholding the strong bilateral cooperation our countries maintain, and signed a Joint Statement of Intent codifying our shared principles. The leaders also discussed support for Ukraine, the strength of the NATO Alliance, and cooperation in the Indo-Pacific.