Biden to host Macron for state visit in December

President Biden will host French President Emmanuel Macron at the White House in December for a state visit, the first such visit for a foreign leader since Biden took office.

The president and first lady will host Macron and his wife on Dec. 1, press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Monday.

“This will be the first state visit of the Biden-Harris administration. It will underscore the deep and enduring relationship between the United States and France, our oldest ally,” Jean-Pierre said. “The leaders will discuss our continued close partnership on shared global issues and areas of bilateral interest.”

State visits are more extravagant and have more pageantry than standard visits from foreign dignitaries.

They feature a formal dinner with other lawmakers and high-profile guests in attendance and can include additional festivities to underscore the relationship between the two leaders.

Macron attended a state visit at the White House in April 2018 with then-President Trump.

Biden has not hosted a foreign leader for the formal event since taking office in January, in part due to coronavirus concerns. 

The two leaders are likely to discuss climate change, the global economy and the war in Ukraine. The U.S. and France have been among a group of allies seeking to pressure Russia over its invasion of Ukraine and to provide support for Ukrainian forces.