WASHINGTON, January 10 (Sputnik) — US Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security (DHS) Alejandro Mayorkas will travel to France over the weekend to discuss security issues with French Minister of Interior Bernard Cazeneuve amid the recent wave of terrorist attacks in Paris, DHS spokesperson Marsha Catron has announced.
According to the statement, topics on the meeting agenda include counter-terrorism efforts, foreign fighters and how to counter "violent extremism in the aftermath of the tragic terrorist incidents in Paris this week".
Washington and Paris have remained in close contact since the Wednesday terrorist attack at the office of the Charlie Hebdo satirical magazine, which took the lives of 12 people and injured another 11. Following the attack, US President Barack Obama offered any assistance to help France recover.
On Friday, the two suspects in the Charlie Hebdo attack, brothers Cherif and Said Kouachi, were killed by French police at a print shop outside of Paris where the two men were hiding, having taken a hostage.
Another hostage situation also took place in Paris on the same day when Amedy Coulibaly took at least five people hostage at a kosher shop in eastern Paris. Coulibaly threatened to kill the hostages if police killed the Kouachi brothers, but was killed by authorities later on Friday.
