U.S. House Speaker Paul Ryan invited French President Emmanuel Macron to deliver an address to a joint session of Congress during his Washington, D.C., visit next month.

"France is not only our oldest ally, but one of our strongest," Ryan said in a statement announcing the invitation. "This is a special opportunity to build on the historic relationship between our countries, and to reaffirm our commitment to defeating terror both domestically and around the world."

The address would be scheduled for April 25, provided Macron accepts Ryan's invitation. Macron will be the second foreign leader to address a joint session during Ryan's tenure as speaker, following India's Narendra Modi who spoke in June 2016, according to Ryan's office.