United States

Visits

Visits to France of prominent American public figures

2017

• 13 and 14 July: Donald and Melania Trump visited Paris and participated in the 14 July military parade and commemoration of the United States’ entry into World War One.
• 8 December: The U.S. Secretary of State visited Paris and met with the Foreign Minister and President Macron.

2018

• 23 January: The American Secretary of State visited Paris for the conference to combat impunity for the use of chemical weapons.
• 9 to 11 November: Donald and Melania Trump visited Paris to take part in the centenary commemorations of World War One.

2019

• 6 June: Donald and Melania Trump visited Normandy for the celebrations of the 75th anniversary of the Normandy landings.

Visits to the United States of French authorities

2017

• 26-30 June: Mounir Mahjoubi, Minister of State for the Digital Sector, visited New York.
• 28-30 June: Bruno Le Maire, Minister of the Economy and Finance, visited New York.
• 18-20 September: President Macron visited New York for the 72nd United Nations General Assembly, accompanied by the Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs and the Minister of State for the Digital Sector.
• 30-31 October: The French Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs visited New York when France held the presidency of the Security Council.
• 11-14 October: Bruno Le Maire, Minister of the Economy and Finance; visited Washington D.C. for the Annual Meetings of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank.
• 18 December: The Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs visited Washington.

2018

• 23-25 April: The President of the French Republic paid a State visit to the United States.
• 25-27 September: The President of the Republic visited New York for the 73rd United Nations General Assembly, accompanied by the Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs and the Minister of State attached to the Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs.
• 4 to 5 October: The Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs visited Washington.

2019

• 27 March to 3 April: The Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs visited New York and Washington.

Cultural, scientific and technical cooperation

French-American cooperation in scientific, academic and cultural matters is flourishing and France is working to increase student exchanges, scientific cooperation and bilingualism. France is the fourth most popular destination for American university students, with some 17,000 students studying in France every year (50% of them in short-term programmes). The Transatlantic Friendship and Mobility Initiative signed in 2014 aims to double French-American mobility flows by 2025.

The United States is France’s number one scientific partner (more than 16,000 co-publications in 2016) and France is the United States’ fifth biggest scientific partner. Academic cooperation programmes such as Fulbright, which celebrated its 70th anniversary in 2018, and Benjamin Franklin scholarships, play a full role in this relationship. The creation of joint laboratories has enhanced our ties; seven joint international units have been established. Our research institutions also have strong partnerships, particularly with the National Institute of Health and the Department of Energy. The CNES and NASA have emblematic partnerships when it comes to space.

Regarding the promotion of the French language, French is the sixth most-spoken language in the United States and the second most-studied foreign language in the public education system (1.25 million students) and at university (200,000 students). The development of immersion schools is particularly active with 25,000 students in more than 150 schools.

With regard to culture, the United States is still the main promoter of culture internationally and France is working in close cooperation with Americans to promote and develop the wealth and the vitality of our contemporary creativity. France has a network of 110 Alliance Française branches in the United States (including 73 offering French courses).