How official you have to be with president Barack Obama? Carla Bruni, France president’s wife doesn’t seem to know the answer to this question. Otherwise she wouldn’t have been such business-like in her greeting when she welcomed US president to Strasbourg's majestic 18th-century Rohan Palace. While his husband, President Nicolas Sarkozy gave Michelle Obama a hug and a continental double kiss, the former model Carla Bruni held out a frosty hand to welcome Barack Obama.

The meeting in Strasbourg was being held before the start of the NATO alliance’s 60th anniversary summit. And of course, France’s president wanted everything to be just perfect. So the guests were welcomed with a red carpet arrival and full military honours from a company of soldiers dressed in camouflage.

During the national anthems the two couples lined up, but unfortunately and despite his trademark stacked heels, Mr Sarkozy was visibly the shortest one.

With the occasion of his visit in France, president Obama gave a speech about his goal of “a world without nuclear weapons” and added that he would outline details in Prague in the coming days.

He also touched the crisis subject saying that US has its fault for this situation, but that “every nation bears responsibility for what lies ahead - especially now.” Diplomatic as always he added: " I’ve come to Europe this week to renew our partnership. America is changing but it cannot be America alone that changes.”