Honorary Co-Chairs:
His Excellency François Delattre, Ambassador of France
The Honorable Charles H. Rivkin, U.S. Ambassador to France

Program Co-Chair:
The Honorable Bart Gordon

The U.S. – France Leadership Dialogue brings together public and private-sector leaders from the U.S. and France to identify key areas of collaboration on current economic and social challenges, and lay the groundwork for the development of concrete initiatives to address such challenges. The Dialogue is structured around a series of forums on key policy issues that are held in the United States and France, alternating over two years.

The U.S. – France Leadership Dialogue is designed to create a sustained conversation among decision-makers and thought-leaders on policy questions that can have an important and positive impact on Franco-American bilateral relations. Topics reflect current events, with participants drawn from the private, public, and non-profit sectors. In particular, the 2012-2013 timeframe provides an early opportunity to engage with both the French and American governments following national elections in each country. Meridian conducts the U.S. – France Leadership Dialogue in partnership with the Association France-Amériques and the French-American Cultural Foundation, under the auspices of the French Embassy.

The initial U.S. – France Leadership Dialogue examines:

• Economic challenges facing the U.S. and France – as well as other developed economies – and how the two countries can work together to address these challenges;
• The economic, social and cultural issues that arise as a result of the growth and increasing economic power of the BRICs and other emerging economies, and how the U.S. and France can play a leadership role in preserving the values that underlie the global economic system;
• Policies that will lead to continued U.S. – France leadership on innovation and technology, with a particular focus on initiatives to eliminate barriers and encourage cooperation between the two countries in the government, corporate, NGO, and academic sectors; and
• Other areas as defined in consultation with partners.

The U.S. – France Leadership Dialogue will continue over time with a flexible approach to developing topics and thus serve as an adaptable sounding board for policy-maker guidance and input. This ongoing exchange of ideas and information between leaders and experts in both countries will strengthen U.S. – France relations and forge connections among leaders, policy experts, and working staff in the field of political, economic, and socio-cultural cooperation. The initiative will be sustained between the major policy conferences through issue-specific colloquia and technology that allows for on-going interaction and the sharing of ideas among participants.