Bon après-midi.

Again, it's a great honor to welcome my friend

and partner, President Hollande,

back to the White House for this state visit.

It's always a pleasure to host François.

At Camp David two years ago, I was trying to make

the summit casual, and François -- in true French

style -- showed up in a necktie.

We tried to get him to take it off.

When I hosted him in Chicago for the NATO

summit, I thought he'd try some of our local

cuisine -- a Chicago-style hot dog.

I'm not sure he had one, but we do know that he has

sampled American fast food in the past, because this

happens to be the 40th anniversary of François's

first trip to America as a student.

And I understand he traveled across

our county studying the fast food industry.

So if back in 1974 you noticed a French guy

poking around your local McDonald's, that was him.

(Laughter)

Now he's back as the

24th President of France.

And Michelle and I look forward to hosting him

tonight at a state dinner -- with a different kind

of American cuisine.

Alexis de Tocqueville -- that great son of France

who chronicled our American democracy --

wrote that even as we marvel at our freedom,

there's nothing harder than learning

how to use our freedom.

It's a lesson that our two countries have

learned over more than 200 years.

Standing together -- and using our freedom

to improve the lives of not only our citizens but

people around the world -- is what makes France

not only America's oldest ally,

but also one of our closest allies.

Our military and intelligence personnel

cooperate every day -- keeping our nations secure

and dealing with crises and challenges

from Africa to the Persian Gulf.

Our diplomats work side by side to help resolve

conflicts and promote peace, from Syria to Iran.

Our development experts help impoverished villages

boost their agriculture and lift themselves

out of poverty.

And this level of partnership across so many

areas would have been unimaginable even

a decade ago.

But it's a testament to how our two nations

have worked to transform our alliance.

And I want to salute President Hollande

for carrying this work forward.

François, you haven't just spoken eloquently about

France's determination to meet its responsibilities

as a global leader, you've also acted.

From Mali and the Central African Republic

to Syria and Iran, you have shown courage and resolve.

And I want to thank you for your leadership

and for being such a strong partner

to the United States.

And in that spirit, I'm grateful for the progress

that we've made today in four key areas.

First, we're standing shoulder to shoulder

on the key challenges to global security.

Our unity with our P5-plus-1 partners,

backed with strong sanctions, has succeeded

in halting and rolling back key parts

of the Iranian nuclear program.

We agree that next week's talks in Vienna will

be an opportunity for Iran to show that it is serious

about a comprehensive solution that assures the

world that its nuclear

program is for peaceful purposes only.

President Hollande and I agree on the need

to continue enforcing existing sanctions, even

as we believe that new sanctions during these

negotiations would endanger the possibility

of a diplomatic solution.

And we remain absolutely united on our ultimate

goal, which is preventing Iran from obtaining

a nuclear weapon.

Just as our unity on Syria -- and the credible threat

of force -- led to a plan for destroying Syria's

chemical weapons, we're united on what needs

to happen next there.

Syria must meet its commitments, and Russia

has a responsibility to ensure

that Syria complies.

And as talks continue in Geneva, we'll continue

to strengthen the moderate opposition,

and we call on the international community

to stem the flow of foreign fighters into Syria.

This week, we're working with our Security Council

partners to call for an end to indiscriminate

attacks on civilians and to ensure humanitarian

aid workers have unimpeded access to Syrians in need.

And we'll continue to work with France

and others to bolster our partners

in the region, including Lebanon.

More broadly, as Israelis and Palestinians move

forward with talks, we agree that France

and the European Union will have an important role

in supporting a final agreement.

And we also agreed to continue our cooperation

on Mali and the Central African Republic, where

leaders and communities need to show the courage

to resist further violence

and to pursue reconciliation.

Second key area -- as major trading partners,

we're working to boost exports and create jobs.

I'm pleased to announce that we're launching

a new economic dialogue to expand trade,

increase the competitiveness of our businesses,

spur innovation, and encourage new entrepreneurs.

And President Hollande's visit to Silicon Valley

this week underscores our commitment

to new collaborations in science and technology.

Related to this, we've agreed to continue

pursuing an ambitious and comprehensive

Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership.

I want to thank President Hollande for his

commitment to these negotiations.

We need to get this done because an agreement could

increase exports by tens of billions of dollars,

support hundreds of thousands of additional

jobs -- both in the United States

and the European Union -- and promote growth

on both sides of the Atlantic.

Number three, we've agreed to keep expanding the

cooperation and clean-energy partnerships

that make our countries leaders

in the fight against climate change.

And even as we take steps at home to reduce carbon

emissions, we'll work to help developing countries

move to low-carbon growth.

And next year's carbon climate conference

in France will be an opportunity

to forge a strong global agreement that reduces

greenhouse gas emissions through concrete actions.

And finally, we're moving forward together

on key global development initiatives: food security

and nutrition that can lift 50 million Africans

out of poverty; our determination

to replenish the Global Fund to fight AIDS, TB, and malaria --

and I'm pleased that we're joining with partners

around the world on a new global health security

effort to combat infectious diseases

and save lives.

So this is just some of the progress we're making

together, using our freedoms,

to borrow de Tocqueville's words, to advance security,

prosperity, and human dignity around the world.

And François, in this work,

I could not be more grateful for your partnership

and your friendship.

I especially want to thank you for honoring

our D-Day veterans today.

And I'm very pleased to announce that I have

accepted François's invitation and will travel

to France in June to mark

the 70th anniversary of D-Day.

I was there for the 65th anniversary and it was an

extraordinary experience.

I'm looking forward to returning to honor

our remarkable veterans and

to reaffirm this extraordinary alliance.

President Hollande.

>> President Hollande: (As interpreted)

Mr. President, dear Barack, you receive

me today as you had done the day after my election with

the same sincerity, with the same respect,

and with the same friendship for France.

You didn't know me back then -- I knew you.

There was a major difference there between

us because your election had been welcomed

in France, beyond any political views,

for it was a proof that America

was moving forward once more.

America was able to make something possible,

to make progress possible.

When you received me here, it was in Camp David.

Let's forget about the tie.

As you can see, I'm wearing a tie today.

But you welcomed me at a time that was challenging

for Europe because what was at stake was the very

existence of the Eurozone -- was the Eurozone going

to be able to come out of this doubt that prevailed

on the Eurozone and on financial markets.

And your call for solidarity

and for growth was heard, and was heard

and was extremely useful back then.

Since then, since this meeting in Camp David,

Europe has come out of its financial crisis.

It now has the relevant instruments

for stability and it has introduced banking union.

I also remember our meeting in Chicago.

I remember that in Chicago I had announced that

France would withdraw its combatting troops from

Afghanistan, but it wasn't an easy decision

to make and it wasn't an easy decision to understand.

And yet, you accepted.

And we remained in Afghanistan, in spite

of this, at a lower level to the level

we had anticipated in earlier times.

But you accepted this movement, all the more so

because this was part and parcel of a commitment I

had made before the French people,

similar to the one you made before the American people

when it came to Iraq.

You recalled our historic relations.

And I shall not mention again the warm reception

of yesterday at Monticello,

but I'd like today, here, to pay tribute to the American

Unknown Soldier fallen during World War II,

to the veterans -- American veterans of the Second

World War who enabled France to be liberated,

and, indeed, Europe.

We will commemorate the 70th anniversary

of D-Day landing.

I had invited you to come and join me

on the 6th of June, and you have just accepted this invitation,

which I welcome.

This will be a strong message because

we will commemorate the sacrifice made

by those soldiers, but we will also celebrate

reconciliation and peace.

This brings us back to our responsibilities

in terms of security.

France and the United States are two countries

which, due to their history, their place

in history, but also due to their seat

as permanent members

of the U.N. Security Council, can act on security throughout

the world for freedom, democracy,

the rule of law.

And this is precisely what France did, with the help

of our American friends, in Mali in order to make

it possible for Mali

to recover its territorial integrity.

This operation was successful, and it was

only successful because a decision was made

by the international community; it was successful because

Americans took part and because Europeans helped

as well as Americans, who also gave their support.

And a President has now been elected in Mali

and the Malian state has now found its authority again.

We also intervened in the Central African Republic

in a completely different context, admittedly,

but the idea was to prevent what could have been

a humanitarian disaster.

There had been already brutal actions that

affected a population that was already suffering

a great deal.

There are violence every day,

there are clashes every day.