Credit:  U.S. State Department photo by Freddie Everett /  Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo meets with French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian, at the Department of State in Washington D.C. on November 14, 2019.

By Gary Raynaldo    /  DIPLOMATIC TIMES

WASHINGTON DC  –  DEPARTMENT OF STATE –   Secretary Michael R. Pompeo met  with French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian Thursday in Washington, D.C.  The meeting took place at the Department of State on the margins of a ministerial meeting of the Global Coalition against Daesh.  France requested the ministerial meeting following the developments in northeastern Syria over the last few weeks following President Trump’s decision to withdraw American troops from the region. 

“Secretary Pompeo and Foreign Minister Le Drian discussed efforts to ensure the enduring defeat of ISIS. The Secretary and the Foreign Minister also discussed the importance of the NATO Alliance and the need for continued Transatlantic cooperation to confront threats to shared security interests.”

-State Department Spokesperson Morgan Ortagu.

The Secretary of State also “reaffirmed the Administration’s steadfast commitment to the Alliance, and reiterated the need for Transatlantic cooperation”, according to Ortagu’s statement.   “Secretary Pompeo and Foreign Minister Le Drian exchanged views on the importance of EU accession for North Macedonia and Albania, on support for Ukraine, and on holding Iran accountable for its ongoing provocations.” the spokesperson added.

Credit:  U.S. State Department photo by Freddie Everett /   French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian  signs the Guest Book  at the Department of State in Washington D.C. on November 14, 2019. 

French Foreign Minister Le Drian  reaffirmed  the importance for the Coalition to continue to mobilize the military and civilian resources needed to secure Daesh’s lasting defeat, “while the most recent operations to retake territory held by this terrorist organization only ended in March 2019”,  according to a statement from the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs.  Consensus is that Islamic State still remains a viable threat.  Pompeo told coalition members that the fight against ISIS has shifted from the  Middle East to Africa, particularly in the Sahel region.  ISIS claimed responsibility for a terror attack that  killed 53 soldiers in west Africa nation Mali earlier this month.

Le Drian and Pompeo also discussed the priorities for French-American bilateral relations.  

Credit:  theglobalcoalition.org/   The Global Coalition to Defeat Daesh Ministerial meeting  Washington D.C. Nov. 14, 2019.