French President Emmanuel Macron began a multi-day visit to the US on Wednesday, when he toured the headquarters of US space agency NASA together with US Vice president Kamala Harris.
US President Joe Biden is due to welcome his French counterpart at the White House on Thursday. The US administration calls France its "oldest ally" and has praised Macron's engagement following Moscow'S invasion of Ukraine.
However, Biden and Macron are also expected to touch on some sensitive issues.
During her meeting with Macron, Harris praised France as a "vital ally" of the US and both underlined the importance of their cooperation in space.
Macron described space as a new place of conflict, making cooperation all the more important between states that are equally committed to science and share democratic values.
Macron is expected to meet Biden for an informal dinner, before starting the official part of the visit. State visits, unlike regular working trips, are usually accompanied by special ceremony and protocol.
The talks between Biden and Macron are set to focus on the war, according to a statement issued by the US in advance. Further topics include China, Iran, the Indo-Pacific region and joint economic cooperation, for example in the energy sector.
France is at the centre of many of these issues, said White House communications director John Kirby, who called Macron "a dynamic leader" within the G7, "particularly there in Europe." He said that was why Biden had chosen him as a guest for the first state visit.
The two are expected to disagree over the Inflation Reduction Act, in aiming to strengthen US industry compared to foreign competitors. France has already called for steps to favour European companies as a countermeasure, but Macron reportedly sees little chance of completely halting Washington's plans.
Instead, he is probably hoping to obtain exemptions for a number of European industries from Biden, as has already been agreed with Mexico and Canada.
Kirby said on Wednesday that the US expects Macron to address the bill and that the government was aware of the concerns of its European partners and remained open to listening to them. "We look forward to having that discussion," he said.
