Secretary of State John Kerry laid a wreath at the kosher supermarket in Paris where four people were killed on Jan. 9.
In France to express solidarity following the recent terrorist attacks, Kerry also reportedly apologized to his French counterpart, Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius, for not attending a march protesting the attacks.
Fabius said Kerry offered the apology on Jan. 16, the French news agency AFP reported.
In addition to meetings with French leaders, Kerry laid a wreath of red roses, carnations and white lilies at the Hyper Cacher Jewish supermarket. He also shared a brief word with Joel Mergui, the head of France’s Rabbinical Council.
Kerry’s visit followed criticism of the United States for failing to send a high-level representative to the Jan. 11 march, which drew millions of people and dozens of world leaders into the streets, including Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
The following day, the White House acknowledged that it had erred in sending only the U.S. ambassador. Kerry told Fabius that he was unable to come earlier because he was traveling in India and Bulgaria.
In an unusual move, French President Francois Hollande trotted down the steps of the Elysee Palace to greet Kerry, who hugged the French president in front of photographers. — jta