President Donald Trump has accepted an invitation from French President Emmanuel Macron to celebrate Bastille Day in Paris on July 14.
Macron extended the offer to Trump and first lady Melania Trump during a phone call between the two leaders on Tuesday, and the White House announced Wednesday that the U.S. president and his wife will make the trip.
In their phone call, Trump congratulated Macron on his big wins in parliamentary elections earlier this month, according to the White House. They also discussed the threat of new chemical weapons attacks in Syria.
The French will mark Bastille Day with a traditional military parade in Paris that will commemorate the 100th anniversary of America’s entry into World War I. The U.S. Congress voted to declare war on Germany in April of 1917, joining a fight that had been going on for almost three years.
The holiday also marks the one-year anniversary of the terror attack in Nice, when a man rammed a truck into dozens of people celebrating and watching fireworks on the city’s main promenade, killing 84.
The relationship between Trump and Macron has been the subject of much speculation. The U.S. president seemed to make clear his preference for National Front leader Marine Le Pen throughout the French presidential campaign.
Yet Trump did work to mend fences after Macron’s win in early May. He congratulated the new president, telling him that contrary to media reports about his alleged favorite in the race, “You were my guy.”
The two leaders met for the first time in late May at a NATO summit. As they posed for photographs, the moment sparked an internet frenzy about the intensity of their handshake. It appeared Macron was making an extra effort with his grip to not be one-upped by Trump.