Remarks Following a Meeting With President Emmanuel Macron of France and an Exchange With Reporters in Charlevoix, Canada
President Macron. I wanted to thank President Trump. I think we had a very open and direct discussion this afternoon.
President Trump. Very.
President Macron. We always have this kind of discussion.
And I think, on trade, there is a critical path, but there is a way to progress all together. We had a very direct and open discussion. And I saw the willingness on all the sides to find agreements and have a win-win approach for our people, our workers, and our middle classes.
We will have, this evening, a group discussion on North Korea—and you will have a very important meeting in Singapore—on Syria, on Iran, obviously. But I want to say that sometimes we disagree, but we always speak and share, I think, common concerns and common values.
President Trump. That's right.
President Macron. And we share the willingness to deliver and get results together. So I wanted to thank you for that, once again.
President Trump. Well, I want to thank you too, Emmanuel. We have—we've had really, a very good relationship, very special. A lot of people wrote a couple of things that weren't quite true. A little bit accurate, perhaps. We have a little test every once in a while when it comes to trade.
The United States has had a very big trade deficit for many years with the European Union, and we're working it out. And Emmanuel has been very helpful in that regard. And something is going to happen, I think it will be very positive.
We also had a very positive meeting a little while ago on NAFTA. So this is turning out to be an interesting day. But we had a very, very good meeting on NAFTA with Justin and his representatives. But I want to thank you. It was very helpful today.
I also want to congratulate you, because I'm reading what's going on in France. You've got great courage. You're doing the right thing. Nothing is easy. But what you're doing is the right thing. And it's a wonderful country. It's a special country. And you have a special President, that I can tell you.
Thank you very much.
President Macron. Thank you, my friend. Thank you again. Thank you.
President Trump. Thank you. Thank you, everybody.
Russia
Q. Should Russia be let back——
The President. We haven't brought that up. It hasn't been brought up.
NOTE: The President spoke at approximately 6 p.m. at the Fairmont Le Manoir Richelieu hotel. In his remarks, he referred to Prime Minister Justin P.J. Trudeau of Canada.
Donald J. Trump (1st Term), Remarks Following a Meeting With President Emmanuel Macron of France and an Exchange With Reporters in Charlevoix, Canada Online by Gerhard Peters and John T. Woolley, The American Presidency Project https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/node/332593