John Kerry
John KerryReuters

US Secretary of State John Kerry and his French counterpart Laurent Fabius on Friday laid a wreath at the Hyper Cacher kosher supermarket in Paris, where four Jews were murdered last Friday by an Islamist terrorist.

The two top diplomats set down the garland of red roses, carnations and white lilies, bearing a white bow with gold trim bearing the words "The United States of America" on a visit by Kerry to pay tribute to the 17 people who died in three days of Islamist attacks in the French capital last week, reports AFP.

Kerry is also set to lay a wreath at the Paris headquarters of satire magazine Charlie Hebdo, where two terrorists gunned down 12 people last Wednesday.

Earlier on Friday morning, Kerry met French President Francois Hollande, telling him "you have the full and heartfelt condolences of the American people, and I know that you know that we share the pain and the horror of everything that you went through."

Speaking about his trip to France on Thursday afternoon, Kerry said the visit "is basically to share a big hug for Paris and express the affection of the American people for France and for our friends there who have been through a terrible time."

He said it was a "continuation of our responsibilities as good friends and the longest ally in our history. That's why I'm going."

The quickly cobbled together trip is also viewed as being something of an apology for the fact that neither US President Barack Obama, nor indeed any senior US official, took part in the counter-terror solidarity march of world leaders in Paris on Sunday.

Fabius said that Kerry had "apologized" for not taking part in the march on Sunday.

Kerry, who speaks French and already has 18 trips to France under his belt as secretary of state, was likely seen as a natural choice for brushing over the faux pas.