The French Permanent Mission to the United Nations expressed its \u201cregret\u201d over publishing a post criticizing a U.S. vote during a General Assembly meeting, in a move expected to help end the dispute and facilitate approval of the appointment of the new French ambassador to Washington.<\/p>\n
The French Mission to the United Nations in Geneva said in a statement on Friday that it regretted the post it published on July 25 via the \u201cX\u201d platform, in which it questioned the United States\u2019 commitment to human rights.<\/p>\n
In a statement published in English to coincide with the anniversary of the September 11 attacks, the mission explained that France and the United States had recently taken different positions on a vote in the General Assembly, stressing that the disagreement was limited to a single vote and was not related to the defense of human rights.<\/p>\n
It added that a public disagreement over a single vote does not prevent the continuation of close dialogue with Washington, nor does it affect the historic alliance between the two countries or their ability to work together to promote peace, stability, and prosperity, including within multilateral forums.<\/p>\n
The French statement was welcomed in Washington after the United States suspended the approval process for the appointment of the new French ambassador due to the dispute.<\/p>\n
A U.S. State Department official, who requested anonymity, told Agence France-Presse: \u201cWe have taken note of France\u2019s statement, and we appreciate it and look forward to working together to advance our shared values and interests.\u201d<\/p>\n
The U.S. State Department had frozen approval for the appointment of Aur\u00e9lien Lechevallier, whom President Emmanuel Macron selected as ambassador to Washington, succeeding Laurent Bili. Lechevallier currently serves as chief of staff to French Foreign Minister Jean-No\u00ebl Barrot.<\/p>\n
U.S. approval of the French ambassador\u2019s nomination is usually a formal procedure, but it has remained suspended since the dispute between the two countries erupted.<\/p>\n
The dispute dates back to July 24, when the United States was one of 10 countries that voted in the United Nations General Assembly against extending the term of Volker T\u00fcrk as United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, alongside countries including North Korea, Russia, and Nicaragua.<\/p>\n
Following the vote, the French mission wrote on the \u201cX\u201d platform, criticizing the U.S. position on extending T\u00fcrk\u2019s term, who had previously criticized the policies of President Donald Trump\u2019s administration: \u201cThe United States was a beacon of human rights. It is no longer so.\u201d<\/p>\n
The post quickly sparked a reaction from Washington, as the U.S. ambassador walked out of a United Nations Security Council meeting days later when the French ambassador began his remarks, in protest against those statements.<\/p>\n
Later, the U.S. State Department blocked the approval process for Lechevallier\u2019s appointment as France\u2019s ambassador to the United States.<\/p>\n
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