Michele Alliot-Marie, French Defense Minister, spoke about the importance of renewing the transatlantic partnership between France and the United States and of maintaining a Western Alliance in general, in a speech hosted by CSIS on Friday, January 16. Although Alliot-Marie acknowledged past and present tension between the two countries, she also highlighted current examples of U.S.-French cooperation, including joint training of the Afghan army, conducting dual Naval missions, and intelligence collaboration. “The cooperation between our intelligence services clearly reflects our common concern,” Alliot-Marie said. “But anti-terrorism efforts will only succeed if we also address the causes of terrorism, namely the sense of frustration in the face of injustice and poverty.” In her address, Alliot-Marie also emphasized France’s commitment to NATO, its desire to adopt a common European security and defense policy, and its allegiance to the U.N.
