 Presidents Sarkozy and Obama at a press conference in Washington in March, 2010. AFP photo |
French President Nicolas Sarkozy is set to head to Washington on Monday for talks with his United States counterpart Barack Obama regarding international security and French plans for world monetary reform.
The one-day visit comes as France embarks on its year as president of the Group of 20, or G20, rich and emerging economies, as well as the Group of Eight, or G8, powers, during which Sarkozy wants to reform currency and commodity markets and world governance practices.
The two leaders are expected to discuss security challenges such as the NATO-led war against the Taliban in Afghanistan, security in Pakistan and threats from militants against, in particular, French concerns in North Africa.
"President Sarkozy attaches great importance to consulting his big partners" about his leadership this year of the G20 and G8 group of six major Western powers plus Russia and Japan, an aide told reporters at a recent press conference. "These discussions will allow him to refine the proposals he will make," said the aide, who asked not be named.
"The discussions will notably cover green economic growth, the Internet and partnership with Africa," the aide said regarding G8 discussions, adding that Obama in turn was slated to attend the G8 summit in France in May.
Sarkozy is due to arrive in Washington, accompanied by his wife Carla Bruni-Sarkozy, on Monday morning and head straight into a meeting with Obama, followed by a joint declaration and then a working lunch.
Bruni-Sarkozy is scheduled to have lunch separately with U.S. First Lady Michelle Obama, the French Office of the President said.
French Economy Minister Christine Lagarde and Foreign Minister Michele Alliot-Marie are scheduled to accompany Sarkozy on the trip, which his office said would also likely cover the Middle East peace process and the political crisis in the Ivory Coast.
"As France assumes the presidency of the G8 and the G20 for 2011, the president looks forward to working with President Sarkozy to sustain the global economic recovery and create jobs," said a White House statement last week.
"The two presidents will also discuss a broad range of current foreign policy and security issues."
The meetings with Obama will be Sarkozy's first since sensitive U.S. diplomatic cables containing embarrassing revelations about world leaders were made public by the whistle-blowing website WikiLeaks.
The cables revealed that U.S. diplomats lauded Sarkozy's pro-American stance and his pragmatism but branded him personally erratic and touchy, with a complex private life.
The one-day visit comes as France embarks on its year as president of the Group of 20, or G20, rich and emerging economies, as well as the Group of Eight, or G8, powers, during which Sarkozy wants to reform currency and commodity markets and world governance practices.
The two leaders are expected to discuss security challenges such as the NATO-led war against the Taliban in Afghanistan, security in Pakistan and threats from militants against, in particular, French concerns in North Africa.
"President Sarkozy attaches great importance to consulting his big partners" about his leadership this year of the G20 and G8 group of six major Western powers plus Russia and Japan, an aide told reporters at a recent press conference. "These discussions will allow him to refine the proposals he will make," said the aide, who asked not be named.
"The discussions will notably cover green economic growth, the Internet and partnership with Africa," the aide said regarding G8 discussions, adding that Obama in turn was slated to attend the G8 summit in France in May.
Sarkozy is due to arrive in Washington, accompanied by his wife Carla Bruni-Sarkozy, on Monday morning and head straight into a meeting with Obama, followed by a joint declaration and then a working lunch.
Bruni-Sarkozy is scheduled to have lunch separately with U.S. First Lady Michelle Obama, the French Office of the President said.
French Economy Minister Christine Lagarde and Foreign Minister Michele Alliot-Marie are scheduled to accompany Sarkozy on the trip, which his office said would also likely cover the Middle East peace process and the political crisis in the Ivory Coast.
"As France assumes the presidency of the G8 and the G20 for 2011, the president looks forward to working with President Sarkozy to sustain the global economic recovery and create jobs," said a White House statement last week.
"The two presidents will also discuss a broad range of current foreign policy and security issues."
The meetings with Obama will be Sarkozy's first since sensitive U.S. diplomatic cables containing embarrassing revelations about world leaders were made public by the whistle-blowing website WikiLeaks.
The cables revealed that U.S. diplomats lauded Sarkozy's pro-American stance and his pragmatism but branded him personally erratic and touchy, with a complex private life.
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