French President Emmanuel Macron faced allegations on Tuesday for making a major foreign policy U-turn after what appeared to be a cordial encounter with his Venezuelan counterpart Nicolas Maduro on the sidelines of the COP27 climate summit in Egypt.

The minute-and-a-half handshake and conversation on the sidelines of the summit in Sharm el-Sheikh on Monday, while brief, was in stark contrast to previous statements by Macron, who described Maduro as “illegitimate” in 2019.

“I would be happy if we could talk to each other longer to do useful bilateral work for the region,” Macron said to Maduro, according to a video recording of the meeting.

Addressing Maduro as “President,” he added, “I’ll call you.”

France, the US and several European allies never recognized Maduro’s reelection for a second term in the 2018 election, instead recognizing his rival Juan Guaido as incumbent president.

But Guaido’s influence has waned after Maduro clung to power, and Western countries are also keenly aware of Venezuela’s status as a key OPEC oil producer at a time of the global energy crisis.

In 2019, Macron recognized Guaido as acting president, called Maduro’s election “illegitimate” and called for a “restoration of democracy” in the country.

“Excellent handshake with French President Emmanuel Macron,” Maduro tweeted after the meeting. “The doors of Venezuela are open to the French.”

“Macron’s major U-turn in Maduro’s Venezuela,” commented the left-leaning French daily Liberation.

The leader of the ultra-left French party France Unbowed (LFI), Jean-Luc Melenchon, a longtime admirer of Venezuela under Maduro and his predecessor Hugo Chavez, tweeted that “the need for oil makes people polite”.

He said Macron “finally” acknowledged Maduro’s choice.

The encounter also came as Macron prepares this week to receive Colombia’s first left-leaning President Gustavo Petro, who has resumed diplomatic ties with neighbor Venezuela and aims to normalize ties after a three-year hiatus.

Venezuela is also sending a senior official to the Paris Peace Forum, a major annual conference backed by Macron that begins Friday.

During the discussion between the two presidents, Maduro said that “France should play a positive role” in Latin America.

The occasionally surreal exchange between the two men – during which the presidents stare at each other – also saw Maduro declare that “we have very good friends in common” and Macron ask, “When are you visiting?”

Asked whether the meeting represented a change in France’s policy, the French foreign ministry said all questions should be directed to the Elysée.