Biden meets with Pope and Macron ahead of G20 summit

US President Joe Biden spoke about US-France tensions over a US deal with Australia for nuclear-powered submarines, which derailed France's own multibillion-dollar deal, and he said what the US did "was clumsy."

Biden also said he thought "France had been informed long before" about the deal.

"Honest to God. I did not know that," he said.

It was a striking admission of a foreign policy misstep for a President with decades of experience in that arena. Biden has not publicly admitted wrongdoing in the submarine deal, but did convey regret in an earlier phone call with Macron at how the situation was handled.

French President Emmanuel Macron also responded with a forward-looking answer:

“For me, what’s important is that we build during these past weeks some very concrete actions in order to strengthen the partnership, with the help and clarification between what the European defense means and the how that’s completely compatible with NATO,” he added.

Watch the moment:

French President Emmanuel Macron spoke first during his meeting with President Biden, their first face-to-face following a diplomatic clash last month over an agreement for the US and United Kingdom to provide Australia with nuclear-powered submarines.

While Biden sat next to him, Macron spoke to reporters in French.

Macron discussed coordination in the fight against terrorism with European and international partners.

"Over the past few weeks, President Biden took some fundamental decisions which benefited to our armies, and these are very much, this is the embodiment of the support. ... Then we acknowledged some bilateral agreements on armament exportations, the nuclear sector, the space industry, and of course the most advanced technology," Macron said, which was translated into English.

"We'll continue to work together on the main international issues — climate change, the digital sector, health — which will be on the agenda of the G20 and we'll also upgrade our discussions on the arms control, which remains a key issue," he said.

President Biden has begun his closely watched meeting with his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron meant to repair fractured ties after a rift involving submarines.

Biden arrived to the French embassy in Rome around 5:45 p.m. local time (11:45 a.m. ET), where Macron was waiting for him.

After emerging from his vehicle, the two men grasped hands and Macron threw his arm over Biden's shoulder.

As they waved, Biden smiled widely while Macron assumed a more stoic expression.

When a reporter shouted whether Biden had apologized, Biden responded: "To whom?"

Macron suggested they go upstairs.

President Biden meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron in Rome, their first in-person meeting following last month's major diplomatic dust-up over an agreement for the US and United Kingdom to provide Australia with nuclear-powered submarines.

The highly anticipated bilateral meeting between the long-standing allies is taking place ahead of the Group of 20 meeting in Rome and the United Nations' subsequent climate summit in Glasgow.

White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan told reporters aboard Air Force One en route to Rome that he expects the meeting to be "constructive and deeply substantive," and that Biden and Macron will cover a gamut of issues facing their alliance, from "counterterrorism in the Middle East to great power competition to economic, trade and technology issues."

Sullivan said a "forward-looking" statement is expected to be released following the meeting, which will touch on areas of cooperation, counterterrorism, the Indo-Pacific, energy and technology.

The two leaders are also expected to be in the same room for other meetings throughout the G20 summit.

Read more about the meeting here.

The Vatican said in a statement on Friday that President Biden, in his meetings with the Pope and his subsequent meeting with the Vatican Secretary of State Pietro Parolin, covered the topics of the protection of the planet, Covid-19 and refugees.

They did not specify further which topics were discussed specifically with the Pope.

They held "cordial discussions" and focused "on the joint commitment to the protection and care of the planet, the healthcare situation and the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic, as well as the theme of refugees and assistance to migrants," the Vatican said Friday.

They also made reference to the protection of human rights, including freedom of religion and conscience.

During the talks, they exchanged views "on some matters regarding the current international situation, also in the context of the imminent G20 summit in Rome, and on the promotion of peace in the world through political negotiation."

US President Biden and French President Emmanuel Macron are meeting at the French Embassy in Rome. With the backdrop of the current US-France diplomatic clash, the location of their sitdown is significant and intentional, a diplomatic source says.

The two leaders are meeting in-person for the first time since a diplomatic feud broke out between the two countries over a US deal with Australia for nuclear-powered submarines, which derailed France's own multibillion dollar deal. 

As part of this tension, France also compared President Biden to former President Trump.

According to Biden's national security adviser, the two will discuss an array of issues from "counterterrorism in the Middle East to great power competition to economic, trade and technology issues."

They are expected to issue a joint statement, which aides have been crafting for days, following the meeting, according to the source. 

Pope Francis "was wonderful," first lady Jill Biden told CNN’s Kate Bennett after meeting him earlier on Friday.

“It was wonderful. He was wonderful,” she said as she entered a café in Rome for a meeting with French first lady Brigitte Macron.

UN Secretary General António Guterres warned Friday that the world is “careening towards climate catastrophe,” describing the G20 summit as an opportunity to “put things on track” as world leaders prepare to gather in Glasgow, Scotland for the COP26 climate conference.

"I think we are still on time to put things on track, and I think this G20 meeting is the opportunity to do that,” he continued, adding that the summit is an opportunity for world leaders to ensure that the upcoming COP26 climate conference will have “the right results.”

Speaking during a press briefing in Rome on the eve of the G20 summit, Guterres called on wealthy nations to uphold commitments to provide funding to help developing nations confront the climate crisis. 

"Ambition on climate finance includes making good on the commitment to provide 100 billion US dollars each year to developing countries,” Guterres said. 

“I welcome efforts led by Canada and Germany to help us get us there. It is a first step, but it delays the largest support for years without clear guarantees,” he added. 

Aside from US President Biden's meetings with world leaders ahead of the G20 and COP26 summits, the focus is also on some other players, including Chinese leader Xi Jinping and UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who just had a telephone conversation on Friday, according to Chinese state media Xinhua. 

The call between the two leaders comes as China confirmed Xi would be addressing the G20 via video link. Xi has not traveled abroad during the pandemic. 

They had an “extensive conversation," a Downing Street spokesperson confirmed, adding that the discussion focused on issues including “the climate crisis ahead of COP26, global trade and economic cooperation, and security and human rights.” 

Johnson emphasized "the importance of all countries stepping up their ambition on climate change at COP26 and taking concrete action to cut emissions and expedite the transition to renewable energy, including phasing out coal," according to Downing Street.

“At the same time, they agreed to cooperate on areas of shared interest, such as developing clean and green technology and supporting the sustainable recovery of the global economy,” the spokesperson added.

Johnson also acknowledged China’s new Nationally Determined Contribution, and “welcomed the country’s work on the COP15 Biodiversity Summit, noting how critical protecting nature is to our overall climate objectives,” according to the statement.

The two leaders also spoke about “wider international security issues,” which included the situation in Afghanistan, and recognized that "there were areas of disagreement and difficulty in the bilateral relationship.”