French President Emmanuel Macron has awarded France's highest medal of honour to the US Joint Chiefs chairman, Gen. Mark Milley, for his role in coordinating support for Ukraine and for his more than 40-year military career spent in defence of democracy.
Milley, who is traveling in France to attend ceremonies at Normandy to mark the 79th anniversary of D-Day, is close to finishing a four-year term as the top US military officer and plans to retire when his tenure as chairman ends on 30 September.
Macron awarded Milley the order of Commander of the Legion of Honour at a closed ceremony on Friday at the Élysée presidential palace.
The medal was created by French emperor Napoleon Bonaparte in 1802. It is awarded to around 2,200 French citizens and 300 foreigners each year for defence of French values.
Milley called the award “an incredible honour from a nation that is our oldest ally".
The US has fought alongside France from the Battle of Yorktown through both world wars to as recently as Afghanistan, when French soldiers served with Milley during his time there as a commander.
Honneurs militaires aux Invalides pour mon homologue 🇺🇸, le général Mark Milley que je suis très heureux d’accueillir.
— Chef d'état-major des armées (@CEMA_FR) June 2, 2023
Amitié historique 🇺🇸🇫🇷 qui se concrétise par des coopérations militaires de très haut niveau.@thejointstaff@USArmy pic.twitter.com/yiYTOJKtr3
In a statement announcing the award, Macron's office said it would “pay tribute to the strength and quality of the ties of military cooperation that unite our two countries, and to General Milley's eminent role in this relationship".
Earlier this year, Macron awarded the Grand Cross of the Legion of Honour to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for his country's stand against Russia's invasion.
Russian President Vladimir Putin received the award in 2006. Macron has considered stripping Putin of the honour but has said a decision to do so “should be taken at the right moment".
US cinema producer Harvey Weinstein was stripped of his Legion of Honour in 2017 after he was accused of rape and sexual harassment.
(with AP)
