Obama, France's Hollande discuss Afghanistan, European debt crisis

President Barack Obama meets with French President Francois Hollande, Friday, May 18, 2012, in the Oval Office of the White House.

President Barack Obama says the G-8 economic summit will target both management of the European debt crisis and a "strong growth agenda."

Obama spoke in the Oval Office following his first meeting with new French President Francois Hollande. Obama says he and Hollande agreed that the eurozone crisis is of extraordinary importance to the world economy.

Hollande also  he stands by his campaign pledge to withdraw his country's troops from Afghanistan by the end of the year.

But the newly sworn-in leader says France will keep supporting Afghanistan in a "different way." Hollande did not say what that would be.

Hollande campaigned in France on a promise to pull that country's 3,300 troops out of Afghanistan ahead of schedule. But his comment following his meeting with Obama indicated a compromise could be likely to shift French troops away from combat roles but leave some French presence in Afghanistan.

Hollande took office this week following conservative Nicolas Sarkozy's ouster by voters frustrated by his handling of the economy.

Later Friday, he and Obama will join other world leaders at the G-8 at Camp David, the presidential retreat in the Maryland mountains.