Pierre Mattot, the press and communication officer of the French Consulate in San Francisco, will deliver a lecture at 9 a.m. on Tuesday in the Musical Recital Hall of Capistrano Hall.

Mattot will discuss French and American relations concerning international hot-button issues ?” including conflicts in the Middle East, Iran’s nuclear ambitions and the state of world poverty ?” in a speech titled “France and the United States, Challenges and Opportunities,” according to a university press release.

Mattot, who has been at his current post for over a year, is a career diplomat, having served in at least 10 countries ?” including Iraq and Iran during their eight-year war in the 1980s, the prepared statement noted.Relations between the United States and France have strained recently, with agriculture policies, strident US support of Israel and the Iraq war providing for much of the tension.

However, the countries have common interests like the Iran situation, combating terrorism and policing Afghanistan, which provides a platform for better relations.

Mattot, whose job entails explaining French issues and political positions to media and the public, thinks ties between the fellow NATO members are mutually beneficial and will increase in the future, according to the press release.

In addition to speaking at Sacramento State this week, Mattot is a scheduled panelist at Stanford University on Thursday for a discussion about the riots that erupted in France a few months ago.

Norm Erickson can be reached at [email protected]