French President Emmanuel Macron yesterday praised Europe’s “predictability” during a visit to Japan, contrasting it with countries that “could hurt you without even informing you” in an apparent swipe at US President Donald Trump.
Trump on Tuesday wrote on social media that Paris had been “very unhelpful” during the war with Iran.
“I’m well aware that sometimes Europe can be seen as a continent that is slower than others, but predictability has value, and we have demonstrated that over all these past years and, dare I say, even these past weeks: We are where you know we will go,” Macron told Japanese business leaders and investors in Tokyo. “That’s not bad, in times like these, believe me.”
Photo: EPA / Bloomberg
Macron criticized countries that said they were “going much faster” than their allies, but “you don’t know whether the day after tomorrow they will still be in that position, and whether tomorrow they won’t make a decision that could hurt you without even informing you.”
The remark was a reference to the month-long US-Israeli war against Iran, which has virtually closed the vital Strait of Hormuz.
Later, following a meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, Macron spoke of the two sides’ cooperation in the face of the “current energy crisis.”
“We share a belief in international law and in the international order based on the United Nations Charter, and we also believe in the democratic values that we defend. This is why ... we both advocate the return to peace, to a ceasefire, to calm, and to the free movement of people and goods through the Strait of Hormuz,” he said.
Takaichi echoed his words, saying the two leaders had agreed “on the importance of ensuring the safety of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, maintaining a stable supply of essential materials and calming the situation as soon as possible.”
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