WASHINGTON, United States (US): France believes that countries should respect each other’s sovereignty when cracking down on drug trafficking, said President Emmanuel Macron.
He was commenting on the Pentagon’s ongoing strike campaign and reports that the US might send troops to Mexico, reported Sputnik/RIA Novosti.
On October 3, NBC News reported that the Trump administration had begun preparations for a mission involving the deployment of US service people and intelligence officers to Mexico in an alleged bid to combat drug cartels.
The White House declined on Tuesday to confirm whether the reports were true, whereas Mexican President, Claudia Sheinbaum, ruled out any form of US military intervention in the country.
“I’ll simply say that France is committed to state sovereignty. That the fight against narco-traffickers is a cause that unites us all. It is solved by cooperation between sovereign states and the respect of each other’s sovereignty,” Macron said on Friday during a joint press conference with Sheinbaum.
He was asked about his position regarding the strikes and France’s response to a potential intervention in Mexico.
The French president stressed that his government intends to pursue the fight against narcotics strictly under a framework “fully” respecting national sovereignty.
In recent months, the Pentagon has been increasing the number of naval, air and land assets deployed throughout the Caribbean, in the US Southern Command area of authority.
The deployment is part of a major operation allegedly targeting counternarcotics and counterterrorism, according to Washington.
Since early September, President Donald Trump has authorised a number of strikes targeting alleged drug trafficking vessels in the Caribbean and the Eastern Pacific.
As of November 7, the strikes have destroyed some 18 vessels and left at least 70 dead. – BERNAMA-SPUTNIK/RIA NOVOSTI
