PARIS (Reuters) - France's foreign minister took a swipe at U.S. Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump on Thursday calling his foreign policy objectives "confused" and warning that Paris could not forget remarks made after militant attacks in France.
Trump's campaign has been marked by insults and inflammatory rhetoric to deal with radical Islam, while on international affairs he has put into question U.S. policy on everything from Syria to Iran, Mexico and North Korea.
"I don't know what Donald Trump's foreign policy is as it's very confused," Jean-Marc Ayrault said in an interview with U.S. broadcaster CNN. "As French foreign minister I'm not going to tell Americans how to vote, but the future U.S. president is not only important for the United States, but also for the rest of the world too."
While not endorsing outright Trump's Democratic rival Hillary Clinton, Ayrault said she had done a "great job" and lived up to her responsibilities when she was secretary of State.
France has been reeling after several attacks claimed by Islamic State during the summer. Trump said in July that France was no longer France and that if it had looser gun laws then the attacks would not have happened.
"As for Mr Trump, I have one observation: he said some very harsh things about France and questioned the French people and those words I will not forget," Ayrault said, dismissing suggestions of relaxing gun legislation in France.