CANTON, Ohio (Reuters) - The White House on Thursday quashed rumors that President Bush would not stay overnight in France during his trip to the G8 economic summit in Evian later this spring.
"The president will be overnighting in France," White House spokesman Ari Fleischer told reporters aboard Air Force One as Bush flew to Ohio to discuss the economy and Iraq. "There were never plans for him to overnight anywhere else."
Relations between Washington and Paris have been chilled by France's staunch opposition to the U.S.-led war with Iraq. U.S. officials have said there would be "consequences."
Reports on Bush's sleeping arrangements during the Group of Eight summit said the president would stay at a hotel across the border in Switzerland instead of in the French Alps.
U.S. officials have sought to tread a careful line between venting their anger at France for its vow to veto any U.N. resolution authorizing the war and the need to maintain working ties to one of the United States' longest-standing allies.
Secretary of State Colin Powell answered with a single word -- "yes" -- when asked this week if France would suffer consequences. He then spoke to French Foreign Minister Dominique de Villepin the next day and an aide said the two laughed about the headlines his comment launched.
While U.S. officials are circumspect in public, their pique shows up in gestures like the U.S. Congress renaming French fries "Freedom fries" and Air Force One serving "Freedom Toast" rather than "French toast."
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