France

PARIS (Reuters) - U.S. Defense Secretary Mark Esper said on Saturday that while it was seeking a political agreement with the Taliban, Washington would not accept just any deal, as a wave of violence has cast a shadow over talks with the United States.

“The United States’ view is that the best way forward is a political agreement and that (is what) we’re working diligently on right now, that doesn’t mean we’ll take any deal,” Esper said during a press conference in Paris with his French counterpart.

PARIS, September 4. /TASS/: The Council of Europe (CoE) has almost fully received Russia’s debt payments for 2017 and 2018, Spokesperson to the CoE’s Secretary General Daniel Holtgen told TASS on Wednesday.

"I can confirm that the money for 2018 and 2017 (54.7 million euros) has been 97% transferred by this morning, some technicalities still need to be arranged between our authorities, but we are sure they will be resolved," he said.

PARIS, August 30. /TASS/: The Council of Europe expects Russia to pay 54.7 mln euro to the organization’s budget within the next few days, CoE Spokesperson Daniel Holtgen told TASS on Friday.

"We understood from contacts with Russians that the payment will be made in the coming days," he said. He stressed that the resolution of the issue "means Russia’s full integration into all sectors of the organization’s activities, including the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe."

PARIS (Reuters) - France has proposed Sylvie Goulard, the deputy governor of the Bank of France and a former European lawmaker, as its candidate for European Union commissioner, a French diplomatic source told Reuters on Wednesday.

The move comes with President Emmanuel Macron’s government looking to clinch a top portfolio such as trade or climate.

PARIS, August 27. /TASS/: The Western world needs Russia to build a new architecture of trust and security in Europe, French President Emmanuel Macron said, addressing a French ambassadors conference at the Elysee Palace on Tuesday.

"We need partnership with Russia to build a new architecture of trust and security in Europe," Macron said. Pushing Russia away from Europe would be "a great strategic mistake," he pointed out.

BIARRITZ, France (AP) — The Latest on the summit of leaders from the Group of Seven democracies (all times local):

10 p.m.

French President Emmanuel Macron says the Amazon, while mostly Brazilian, is a world issue and that his message to Brazil President Jair Bolsonaro is “we cannot allow you to destroy everything.”

Amid tensions with Bolsonaro over his handling of fires in the Amazon and his pursuit of economic growth at the expense of the forest, Macron said: “We respect your sovereignty. It’s your country.”

BIARRITZ, France (AP) — The Latest on President Donald Trump at the Group of Seven summit in France (all times local):

8:30 p.m.

No, first lady Melania Trump hasn’t had any secret meetings with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

The White House is clarifying comments made by President Donald Trump during a news conference in France. He had said “the first lady has gotten to know” Kim and likely agrees he’s “a man with a country that has tremendous potential.”

BIARRITZ, France (AP) — U.S. President Donald Trump said Monday there’s a “really good chance” he could meet with Iran’s leader on their nuclear impasse after a surprise intervention by the French president during the G-7 summit to try to bring Washington and Tehran together after decades of conflict.

BIARRITZ, France (AP) — Never mind his differences with world leaders on China, trade, Russia, Iran and more. President Donald Trump’s takeaway message from the Group of Seven summit in France was “unity.” In fact, “flawless” unity.

During this year’s gathering of leaders of the world’s wealthiest democracies, Trump went to great lengths to portray it as something of a lovefest, papering over significant disagreements on major issues.

BIARRITZ, Aug. 25 (Xinhua) - As the G7 summit entered into its second day, leaders of the world's wealthiest countries club went through a packed schedule Sunday to build consensus, but their divisions on such issues as trade and Iranian nuclear deal were hard to bridge.