CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va., Feb. 10 (UPI) -- President Obaa !"nda# t""$ Fran%e&s 'resident "n a t"r "T*"as +eers"n&s Virinia *"e !"nti%e", adint*e *ist"ri% U.S.-Fren%* reati"ns*i'. Obaa, a''earina"nside President Fran%"is H"ande in C*ar"ttesie, said !"nti%e" siniies /t*e in%redibe *ist"r# beteen t*e United States and Fran%e. /As "ne ""r F"ndinFat*ers, t*e 'ers"n *" drated "r e%arati"n "Inde'enden%e, s"eb"d# *" n"t "n# as an e2tra"rdinar# '"iti%aeader bt as" "ne ""r reat s%ientii% and %traeaders, T*"as +eers"n re'resents *at&s best in Aeri%a,/ Obaa said. /3t as e see as e traet*r"* *is *"e, *at *e as" re'resents is t*e in%redibe b"nd and t*e in%redibe its t*at Fran%e ae t" t*e United States, be%ase *e as a Fran%"'*ie t*r"* and t*r"*. ... /T*is *"e re'resents t*e b"nds t*at *e'ed ead t" t*e Aeri%an Re"ti"n, *e'ed t" inen%e t*e Fren%* Re"ti"n, ires i$e Laa#ette, *" 'a#ed s%* a %entrar"e in "r "n inde'enden%e -- at*is is siniied *ere at !"nti%e"./ 4ibert d!"tier, ar5is de Laa#ette, as a Fren%* n"bean *" "*t in t*e Aeri%an Re"ti"nar# 6ar. /O%"rse, t*is *"se as" re'resents t*e %"'i%ated *ist"r# "t*e United States. 6e 7st isited d"nstairs *ere e $n"t*e saes *e'ed t" bid t*is anii%ent str%tre, and t*e %"'e2 reati"ns t*at +eers"n, t*e drater "t*e e%arati"n "Inde'enden%e, *ad t" saer#. And it&s a reinder "r b"t* "s t*at e are "int" %"ntine t" i*t "n be*a"t*e ri*ts "a'e"'es -- s"et*int*at I $n"Fran%e *as aa#s been %"itted t", and e are %"itted t" as e,/ Obaa said. /T*ere is s"et*in5ite ni5e ab"t +eers"n in t*e a%t t*at *e been abassad"r "t*e United States t" Fran%e be"re be%"inU.S. 'resident,/ H"ande said. /I d" beiee t*at is t*e "n# Aeri%an 'resident t*at *ad t*at e2'erien%e. And *e as U.S. abassad"r t" Fran%e at t*e tie "t*e Fren%* Re"ti"n, and *e de'arted r"Fran%e in Ast "189:, *i%* eans ater t*e 1;t* "+# it* t*e ta$in"t*e 3astie. He t*"*t *e *ad seen en"* and t*at *e %"d " ba%$ *"e. And t*en "%"rse, *e as in"ed in t*e "ernan%e "t*e United States be"re be%"in'residen t. And t*en +eers"n 'r%* ased L"isiana r"<a' "e"n. And t"da# e are n"t deandinan#t*in,/ t*e Fren%* 'resident said t" a*ter. /I as" is* t" %"nirt*at t*is b"nd t*at nites s it* +eers"n, t*at t*ese b"nds are sstained "er tie, be%ase *e re'resents aes and 'rin%i'es. Freed", *an dinit#, ri*ts -- t*ese are t*e aes t" *i%* e are %"ntinint" i*t ar"nd t*e "rd, t*e United States and Fran%e. 6e ere aies in t*e tie "+eers"n and Laa#ette. 6e are stiaies t"da#. 6e ere riends in t*e tie "+eers"n and Laa#ette, and e ireain riends "reer,/ H"ande said.
