French Minister of Armed Forces Florence Parly and her U.S. counterpart Lloyd Austin signed a new roadmap for cooperation between the two countries' special forces in Washington on Friday, aiming to enhance international efforts in the fight against jihadists. This agreement comes at a time when the United States is withdrawing from Afghanistan and France is reducing its military presence in the Sahel region.
Parly tweeted after the meeting, "Signing with Lloyd Austin an agreement to enhance our special forces cooperation." She added, "In the face of terrorism, our special forces have developed a true brotherhood in arms." She emphasized that "this agreement will deepen the exceptional ties that have been woven," without providing further details.
Pentagon spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Anton Semelroth described the roadmap as a "statement of intent to expand cooperation in all areas of special operations." He noted that the document does not pertain to any specific region, as both countries are engaged in combating jihadists in various areas.
U.S. President Joe Biden announced on Thursday that America’s longest war will soon come to an end, with the final withdrawal of U.S. forces from Afghanistan by August 31. Meanwhile, French President Emmanuel Macron stated on Friday that France would begin closing its bases in northern Mali in the second half of 2021 as part of its announced reduction of military presence in the Sahel.
However, both Washington and Paris do not want to abandon their efforts in counter-terrorism. During a discussion at the Atlantic Council, a research institution, Parly spoke after her Pentagon visit about Operation Takuba, a unit comprising European special forces responsible for assisting the Malian army in the fight against jihadists, considering it an "exceptional and concrete example" of future cooperation.
She stated that Takuba "is an exceptional and concrete example of Europeans taking responsibility by supporting the Malian armed forces in combat." Parly noted that the Takuba force "has already achieved significant successes against terrorism," adding that "U.S. support for our operations in the Sahel is of utmost importance."
She mentioned other joint missions that have taken place in recent years, stating, "Our operational cooperation is yielding tangible results and will continue to do so." Prior to the talks, Austin referred to France as "the perfect partner" in the Indo-Pacific region, where Washington is seeking to build stronger partnerships to counter China. In Washington, Parly also visited the Pentagon's Cyber Command.
