Donald Trump to host France's Emmanuel Macron in first state visit of his presidency

'I'm always extremely direct and frank,' with Mr Trump, says Mr Macron of their relationship

France's president Emmanuel Macron meets with US President Donald Trump on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly on 18 September 2017. (LUDOVIC MARIN/AFP/Getty Images)

The White House announced US President Donald Trump's first official state visit of his presidency will be with French President Emmanuel Macron.

Mr Macron's visit will also include Mr Trump and First Lady Melania Trump's first state dinner.

No date has been set for the visit as yet, but an announcement is likely to be made with Mr Trump is in Davos, Switzerland for the World Economic Forum.

Normally a black tie affair, a state dinner is held in honour of the visiting dignitary and what sets it apart from dinners during foreign leaders' visits during Mr Trump's first year in the White House is that the federal government pays for the official state visit.

Mr Trump is the first President to not have hosted an official state dinner during his first year in office. The White House said there was no particular reason for the delay, CNN reported.

Mr Macron and wife Brigitte hosted the Trump's in Paris for Bastille Day, which included a military parade down the Champs-Élysées and a meal on top of the Eiffel Tower.

"It was one of the greatest parades I've ever seen. It was two hours on the button, and it was military might, and I think a tremendous thing for France and for the spirit of France," Mr Trump said, impressed by the pomp and circumstance.

The pair first met at the end of May 2017 in Brussels, where they had attended the Group of Seven (G7) summit and shared a now infamous, prolonged, white-knuckled handshake.

Days later Mr Trump announced the US would be withdrawing from the Paris Agreement on climate change, signed by nearly 200 countries in an effort to curb worldwide carbon emissions and contain global warming to 2C.

It caused an uproar among world leaders, including Mr Macron. In response, the French leader said during a speech that he wants to "Make the planet great again," playing off of Mr Trump's "Make America Great Again" slogan.

He also offered a safe haven, of sorts, to American climate scientists - completed with state-funded research and facilities.

He also immediately rejected the President's suggestion the Paris accord was open to renegotiation so it would be less of an "economic disadvantage" to American coal workers, particularly in the coal industry.

"I do believe [US withdrawal is] a big mistake, I told him but there is no new negotiation. You join or you don't join. China decided to, to remain in the loop," said Mr Macron.

However, Mr Macron said he and the often-controversial American leader speak "very regularly."

Appearing on the UK television programme The Andrew Marr Show, Mr Macron said he has is "always extremely direct and frank" with Mr Trump.

"Sometimes I manage to convince him, and sometimes I fail," Mr Macron noted.

The pair appeared to have one point in common throughout their meetings during Mr Trump's first year in office: both were out to change the status quo of politics in their countries.

Mr Macron said Mr Trump was "elected by his humouring people."

The two were at odds once again after Mr Trump reportedly used the word "s***hole" to describe Haiti and 54 African nations during a White House meeting about immigration.

The President has denied using such a term.

Mr Macron noted: "It's not a word you can use...we have to respect all the countries."

Despite other disagreements on the nuclear deal with Iran and positions in the Middle East, CNN reported that Mr Macron's "aides say he views himself as Trump's interpreter in Europe, sifting through the brash pronouncements to find places of common interest."