U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry on Friday laid a wreath at the kosher supermarket in Paris where an Islamist terrorist killed four Jewish men last week in a hostage standoff.
Kerry, who also visited the headquarters of French magazine Charlie Hebdo where two other Islamist gunmen killed 12 people, came to th Hyper Cacher store acccompanied by French oreign Minister Laurent Fabius, and U.S. Ambassador in France Jane Hartley.
Kerry and French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius appeared first at the kosher supermarket in eastern Paris where four people died in a hostage standoff last Friday. A line of wreaths was already propped against police barriers blocking off the site.
Earlier, Kerry shared an embrace with French President Francois Hollande in front of the Elysee palace where they held talks.
Kerry told Hollande that France has "the full and heartfelt condolences of all the American people," and that Americans "share the pain and the horror of everything" the French people went through.
Kerry met earlier Friday with his French counterpart, Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius, as he began a series of meetings with French officials.
Kerry told Fabius that he could not come to Sunday's march in Paris because of travel obligations in India and Bulgaria. He also said, "It's good to be with you. We have a lot to talk about."
The Obama administration has admitted it made a mistake by not sending a high-level representative to a massive anti-terrorism march in Paris Sunday that attracted other world leaders. French officials say it was the largest street demonstration in the country's history.
In another development, police in Paris say they have detained at least 10 people suspected of having ties to the shooters.
Authorities are on high alert for further attacks.
French President Francois Hollande said at the Arab World Institute in Paris Thursday that moderate Muslims are the primary victims of radical Islam.
He said Islam can be compatible with democracy, but called fundamentalist Islam fanatical and intolerant.
In neighbouring Belgium, special police forces killed Thursday two men during raids against an Islamist group of people returning from Syria. In Germany, police said they had arrested two people following a raid on 11 properties linked to radical Salafists.