France, US reaffirm alliance against terror

France and the US has reaffirmed their alliance against security threats, a French Foreign Ministry statement said .

During a Friday phone conversation with US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault stressed the importance of the "historic ties" between the two nations, Xinhua news agency reported.

They shared the desire to fight the Islamic State (IS) terror group, particularly in Iraq and Syria and the alliance is characterised by "crucial cooperation in the area of security, in particular in the fight against terrorism", the statement added.

This relationship is "fundamental in helping to resolve regional crises, particularly in the Middle East, the Near East and Ukraine," it added.

According to the statement, Ayrault invited Tillerson to visit France soon.

While the new Donald Trump administration has issued a temporary travel ban on refugees and citizens from seven Muslim nations raising terror concerns, France has been on a national high alert since January 2015 amid series of attacks by Islamic terror groups.

--IANS

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