Mohammad Amjad Hossain :
President Donald Trump of the United States of America has established a new record by inviting French President Emmanuel Macron, an ally, as state guest after having served more than one year in the White House. President Trump has spent more time than many of his predecessors to host state visit. His predecessors President Barack Obama and President Bill Clinton held their first state dinner in November of their first year in the White House while President George Bush held state dinner in September of his first year in office. President Trump is reportedly first President since President Calvin Coolidge in 1924 to finish his first year in office without inviting any head of state for a state visit.
President Trump also breaks the tradition by inviting limited number of guests while excluding news media personalities, apart from any democratic member of the congress. This has become unprecedented in history of the United States. There was no celebrity guest or any super star or Hollywood entertainer at state dinner. President Trump also ignored attending traditional annual dinner hosted by National Press club of Washinton DC. It is presumed President Trump is apparently avoiding journalist circle because of his recent past unethical behavior involving series of women. Recently one of porn actress, who is reportedly ask to keep quiet about sexual encounter with Donald Trump, filed a case against President Trump. Similarly, Democratic National Committee filed a lawsuit accuses the Trump campaign, Russia and WikiLeaks of engaging in a conspiracy to undercut Democrats in the 2016 election in stealing of emails and documents.
It is interesting to note that both President Trump and French President Emmanuel Macron do not see eye to eye on the issue of climate change, Trans-Pacific trade deal, nuclear agreement with Iran but they were in agreement to strike back President Bashar al-Assad regime of Syrian stock pile of chemical weapons on 13 April along with the Great Britain without approval of security council.
Both President Trump and French President Macron met first time at a NATO summit in Brussels on 25 May of 2017 followed by at Bastille day in Paris on 13 July at the invitation of French President Macron where President Trump was impressed to witness military parade. That inspired him to hold such parade in Washinton DC but it did not materialize as a result of huge involvement of money.
Since President Emmanuel Macron came to power he has asserted his power to spread contacts with former French colonies in Africa and holding meetings with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President of Palestinian authority Mahmud Abbas to bring an end decades long conflicts to establish two states while French President interfered to re-establish premiership in Lebanon of Saad Hariri who was reported to have resigned from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Saad Hariri went back to Lebanon to resume premiership on completion of his visit to Paris at the invitation of French President Macron on 18 November of 2017.Lebanon was also French colony after the fall of Ottoman empire during first world war.
Coaxing French President Donald Trump does not achieve any breakthrough with regard to climate change, nuclear deal with Iran which has been reflected in the address by French President to joint session of the Congress of the United States on April 25. It was coincided with 58th anniversary of the former French President Charles de Gaulle’s address to a joint session of US congress.
In his address to the congress in English instead of French President Emmanuel Macron urged United States to lead in 21st century’s global issues instead of remained as isolationist.
French President is of the opinion that challenges of 21st century require to work together but closing the door to the world will not stop the evolution of the world. French President urged United States to rejoin Paris climate accord for the sake of climate and saving future of children and grandchildren.
French President also did not buy theory of US President to dump nuclear deal with Iran. While addressing joint session of the congress French President holds the opinion that France would not go back from nuclear deal with Iran and he asserted that Iran shall never possess any nuclear weapons now, not in five years, not in ten years, never while President Trump is of the opinion that nuclear deal with Iran as” insane and ridiculous” for failing to contain Tehran in possessing nuclear weapons. In an apparent reference to President Trump’s embrace of the world’s strong man from Russian President Vladimir Putin to China’s President for life Xi Jinping and Rodrigo Duterte of the Philippines French President Macron called on Congress to leave them behind in fashioning a new world.
It may be noted French President has had discussion with Chancellor Angela Merkel of Federal Republic of Germany before flying to Washington DC to visit USA as a guest of President Donald Trump. His visit would be followed by the visit of Chancellor Angela Merkel, who is due on 27 April to visit the United States at the invitation of US President. Both French President and German Chancellor Angela Markel holds the opinion to deal with Iran separately on the issue of meddling in Syrian civil war and Yemen as well.
Chemistry of Donald Trump and French President Emmanuel Macron are diametrically in opposite direction which has been reflected during election period in France on 23 April and 7 May of 2017. Donald Trump was sided with Marion Le Pen, a far-right protagonist, President of National Front of France, during French presidential election while she received blessing from President Vladimir Putin of Russian Federation. Immediate past President Barak Obama endorsed Emmanuel Macron.
In the interest of global economy and peace in the world both United States and European countries should work hand in hand.
(Mohammad Amjad Hossain, retired diplomat from Bangladesh, who writes from Virginia, USA )
