“More than anything else France has been our first friend.”

“I want to make it clear, France is an extremely, extremely valued partner.”

'The head of state emphasized our collective moral responsibility toward the Afghan men and women who need our protection,' the readout said.

The two leaders also discussed progress on defeating the coronavirus and the reopening of global economies.

“Significant rally effects appear to be a relic of the past as political polarization in presidential approval ratings has reached new levels.”

“The enemy is there, invisible, elusive, advancing. And that requires our general mobilization.”