Trump, Macron look past differences on climate pact
PARIS » President Donald Trump and French President Emmanuel Macron set aside lingering differences on climate change during their meeting in France on Thursday, asserting that it shouldn’t prevent them from working together toward a post-war roadmap for Syria and to enhance Mideast security.
Trump, standing alongside Macron at a news conference, said the two nations have “occasional disagreements” but that would not disrupt a friendship that dates back to the American Revolution. He remained non- committal about the United States eventually rejoining the global climate agreement that bears Paris’ name, telling Macron, “if it happens that will be wonderful, and if it doesn’t that will be OK too.”
Macron acknowledged sharp differences on the Paris climate pact but said the two leaders could find other areas of cooperation. “Should that have an impact on the discussions we’re having on all other topics? No, absolutely not,” he said.
Trump arrived in the French capital on Thursday for a whirlwind, 36-hour visit to meet with Macron and tackle potential solutions to the crisis in Syria and discuss broader counterterrorism strategies before being feted at Bastille Day celebrations today.
Topics like resolving the years-long civil war in Syria and countering terrorism gave Trump and Macron areas to cooperate. The two said they also discussed the security situations in Ukraine and Libya.
Trump praised a ceasefire in southern Syria that he helped broker last week with Russia and Jordan and said the U. S. was working on a second cease-fire in a “rough part of Syria.”
Macron said he discussed with Trump a road map for the country that would help stabilize the situation after the war ends. He has argued for intervention in Syria, saying that President Bashar Assad is a threat to the war-ravaged country and the Islamic State group is a threat to France.
France has been plagued in recent years by extremist attacks and Trump noted that during last year’s Bas- tille Day celebrations, a 19ton cargo truck deliberately plowed into crowds in Nice, killing more than 80 people.
While the U. S. has split with the major world powers on the environment, the two leaders tried to patch over those differences.
Trump has said the climate deal was unfair to the U.S. but said the country was committed to protecting the environment despite his recent withdrawal decision.