LONDON — Standing apart on either side of a strip of red carpet outside Number 10 Downing Street, Prime Minister Boris Johnson and French President Emmanuel Macron demonstrated the unusual reality of international diplomacy in the coronavirus era. Macron's visit to London on Thursday to mark the 80th anniversary of General de Gaulle's call for wartime resistance is one of the most high-profile foreign trips by a head of state since many countries imposed lockdowns to curb the virus. Unable to shake hands then stand shoulder to shoulder while posing for photos outside the famous black door of Number 10, which would be the usual ritual, the two leaders had to improvise. Macron put his palms together and offered a small bow - a gesture Johnson clumsily reciprocated while waving one hand around to direct the French leader to stand at a suitable distance.

Source: International New York Times June 18, 2020 15:56 UTC