Harris, Macron aim for increased US-France cooperation

The United States and France have agreed to take the bilateral cooperation in space to a new level by establishing a regular dialogue between them to coordinate joint efforts on climate change, security, science and technology, the White House said.

"Experts from the National Space Council, the National Security Council, Department of State, Department of Defense, Department of Commerce, Department of Transportation, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the Office of Science and Technology Policy, and other Departments and Agencies as appropriate, together with their French counterparts, will establish a regular bilateral dialogue to ensure a whole-of-government approach to space cooperation," the White House said in a press release on Wednesday (local time).

The US Vice President was in Paris to strengthen United States' alliances and partnerships in Europe and around the world. Following her meeting with President Emmanuel Macron of France, she announced a number of collaborative initiatives that the United States will undertake alongside France and other countries to address global issues and emerging threats.

"Together, we will leverage the growing importance of our civil, commercial, and national security space cooperation in order to meet our shared national and foreign policy objectives such as: addressing the climate crisis; expanding the frontiers of space; enhancing the quality of and access to science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education; consulting on norms, guidelines, principles, and rules for promoting the long-term sustainability of the outer space environment and the security of space activities; and enabling a sustainable space economy that ensures humanity accrues the benefits space has to offer," the White House statement read.

"We committed to an initial emphasis on expanding cooperation to address the climate crisis, including discussions about enhancing the exchange of Earth observation satellite data and joint analysis of climate change risks," it added.

Besides meeting with Macron, Harris will participate in several key events throughout the week, including the Paris Peace Forum and the Paris Conference on Libya, Sputnik reported.

( With inputs from ANI )