Sharjah 24 – AFP: US Secretary of State Antony Blinken will hold talks in Paris next week in a new bid to ease tensions after French anger over a submarine contract, the State Department announced Friday.

Blinken will travel to Paris from Monday through Wednesday for a meeting of the OECD club of advanced market economies and also meet French officials on "further strengthening the vital US-France relationship," spokesman Ned Price said.