French President Hollande arrives in Washington: AFP reporter

France President, Francois Hollande
France President, Francois Hollande
President Francois Hollande of France arrived Tuesday for talks with US President Barack Obama on how to confront the threat posed by the Islamic State group in the wake of the Paris attacks.

The French president landed at Andrews Air Force Base outside the US capital, and was to go directly to the White House for talks followed by a joint press conference.

Hollande’s trip to Washington is part of a frantic week of shuttle diplomacy by the French leader to rally global support to fight IS.

Gunmen linked to the group killed 130 people in near simultaneous gun and bomb attacks across Paris on November 13.

Hollande will hold talks with German Chancellor Angela Merkel in Paris on Wednesday and with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on Thursday, before receiving Chinese Premier Xi Jinping in the French capital on Sunday.

The UN Security Council last week authorised “all necessary measures” to fight IS.

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