Michel Rose, Jeff Mason and Jeff Mason

ROME, (Reuters) – President Joe Biden described U.S. actions as “clumsy”, in his first meeting Friday with French President Emmanuel Macron. This was after a diplomatic crisis erupted last week over a U.S.-Australia security pact.

Biden took advantage of the G20 summit meeting in Rome to attempt to repair a relationship which was under threat over AUKUS (the U.S.-Australian security alliance), which also included the United Kingdom. This pact effectively ended a French-Australian submarine agreement from 2016.

The U.S. decision to secretly negotiate a new agreement https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/aukus-deal-ensure-peace-security-indo-pacific-says-us-admiral-2021-10-14 drew outrage from Paris. France temporarily recalled its ambassador from Washington, canceled a gala in the U.S. capital and officials accused Biden https://www.reuters.com/world/us-move-dislodge-france-australia-submarine-deal-is-incoherent-french-ministers-2021-09-15 of acting like former President Donald Trump.

“I believe what happened was, to put it in English, that our actions were awkward. Biden stated that it was not accomplished with much grace. I was misled into believing certain events had occurred that never happened. But I do want to be clear. France is an extraordinarily, exceptionally valued partner.

Biden said that America does not have a more trusted ally than France, and that it is impossible for the United States to cooperate with France anywhere in the world.

“I had the misperception that France knew long ago that this deal wasn’t going through. Biden said to Macron, “I, honestly to God, didn’t know you hadn’t been.”

Macron stated that his meeting with Biden was important and that it was crucial to “look forward” while his country and America work together to repair fences.

Macron declared, “What is really important now, it’s what we will do together the following weeks, the next months, and the future years.”

Washington has made several efforts to heal the relationship since the split.

Biden and Macron spoke to each other https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/biden-macron-discuss-european-defense-will-meet-rome-white-house-2021-10-22 last week. Antony Blinken Secretary of State also visited Paris where he said that America could have communicated better. Kamala Harris announced also that she will travel to Paris for Macron’s meeting in November.

Macron and Biden met at Villa Bonaparte (the French embassy in the Vatican), which was described by a French diplomat as a sign of Biden’s goodwill.

The diplomat from France said that “it’s an important gesture” and that the United States acknowledged that its actions had an impact.

France wants to know if Biden will follow his words by doing the right thing. Trust is being rebuilt. This is only one step. “We’ll wait to see if the tokens of goodwill continue in the long term,” said the diplomat.