[Asia Economy New York=Special Correspondent Joselgina] U.S. President Joe Biden and French President Emmanuel Macron condemned Russia's illegal invasion war against Ukraine on the 1st (local time), labeling it a war crime. They also strongly condemned North Korea's escalating ballistic missile provocations this year.
According to the White House, the two leaders concluded their summit in Washington DC that day and announced in a joint statement that they would strengthen broad cooperation ranging from responding to the Ukraine war to economic issues, climate change, space, and energy policies.
First, regarding the prolonged Ukraine war, the two leaders stated that "deliberately targeting civilians and civilian infrastructure constitutes a war crime," and criticized that "Russia's illegal annexation attempts of Ukraine's sovereign territory are clear violations of international law."
They also reaffirmed their political, security, humanitarian, and economic support policies for Ukraine. In this regard, an international conference is scheduled to be held in Paris on December 13. They also agreed to continue cooperating with the international community to prevent food and energy disruptions caused by the war.
The two leaders will also strengthen cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region, where China is expanding its influence. They said, "We will coordinate concerns in response to China's challenges to the international order, including human rights, and cooperate with China on important global issues such as climate change," emphasizing that "maintaining peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait is important."
They also condemned North Korea's ballistic missile provocations. The two leaders said, "We strongly condemn North Korea's unprecedented number of illegal ballistic missile test launches this year," adding, "These violate multiple United Nations Security Council resolutions and threaten peace and stability in the region." They agreed to continue cooperation at the UN Security Council to address these violations by North Korea.
Furthermore, the two leaders reaffirmed their commitment to a rules-based multilateral trading system centered on the WTO and agreed to promote bilateral trade and investment supporting advanced technology and innovative industries, including supply chains, aerospace, information technology, and pharmaceuticals. The statement also included efforts to reduce dependence on Russian products in the energy sector.
The joint statement also briefly included content regarding the U.S. Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), which had become a major agenda item after President Macron publicly criticized it ahead of the summit. They stated, "We look forward to the activities of the U.S.-EU task force on the Inflation Reduction Act to further strengthen the U.S.-EU partnership on clean energy and climate in mutually beneficial ways."
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