The United States and France are "on the same page" and can work together to further strengthen NATO, US President Joe Biden told his French counterpart on Saturday, adding that he felt strongly about ensuring NATO's "cohesion."
"As we say back in the States, we're on the same page," Biden told Macron during a televised conversation on the margins of the ongoing G7 summit in the UK.
The US president also explained that he stood fully in support of both NATO and the EU.
"We feel very very strongly about the cohesion of NATO and I for one think that the European Union is an incredibly strong and vibrant entity that has a lot to do with the ability of Western Europe to not only handle its economic issues and provide the backbone and the support for NATO," Biden said.
French President Macron, who clashed numerous times with Biden's predecessor Donald Trump on issues such as NATO, said that he welcomed having a US president who was committed to strengthening ties between the US and Europe.
"I think it's great to have a US president part of the club and very willing to cooperate, and I think that what you demonstrate is that leadership is partnership," Macron said.
The three-day G7 summit at Carbis Bay began on Friday. Opening the first session, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson said that the international community should "learn the lessons" from the COVID-19 pandemic and bolster resiliency and preparedness.