U.S., France in Leadership Call

Feb. 10, 2014 3:18 a.m. ETPARIS—French President François Hollande and U.S. President Barack Obama called for more countries to share “the burden and price of leadership,” in a joint text published in two newspapers in France and the U.S. on Monday.

“More nations must meet their responsibilities for upholding global security and peace and advancing freedom and human rights,” both leaders said, in a text published in the Washington Post and Le Monde newspaper in Paris, ahead of the first state visit of Mr. Hollande to the U.S.
Both leaders said they share a common position on an array of issues such as Iran, Syria, Africa and climate change. They said the partnership between France and the U.S. is a model for international community.
Mr. Hollande’s trip to Washington comes after months of close collaboration between his administration and the U.S. government on the world stage. The U.S. has supported the action of France against jihadist groups in Mali with intelligence sharing and troop air transportation. The two countries have also been close on two crucial diplomatic fronts: Iran and Syria. In both cases, French diplomacy has taken a firmer position than the U.S.
In their joint text, the two leaders said that their action toward Syria, notably the “credible threat to use force,” paved the way for the agreement to destroy chemical weapons. They also highlight their action in talks with Iran on the development of nuclear technology.
Both leaders called for all countries to join their search for an ambitious global agreement on the reduction of greenhouse gases through concrete steps. They said they would express joint ambitions for the Paris conference on climate due in 2015 at a summit in September.
Write to Inti Landauro at inti.landauro@wsj.com

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