French president Franois Hollande: reportedly planning to voice concerns about data protection and the tax optimisation schemes of major internet companies such as Google during his US visit. Photograph: EPA/Mohamed Messara

America is expected to roll out the red carpet for Franois Hollande

today as the president becomes the first French leader to make a state visit for almost two decades.

The three-day visit, which includes a black-tie dinner at the White House and a trip in the presidential plane Air Force One, is seen as evidence of the close ties between the US and France.

As well as talks with Barack Obama, who has hosted only six state dinners since he took office in 2009, Hollande will visit Silicon Valley and have lunch with the heads of key technology and social networking companies.

He will also tour the Francophile president Thomas Jeffersons house in Charlottesville, Virginia. However, unusually, he will not address Congress. Both the White House and the lyse insist this is due to a lack of time.

Google In San Francisco, Hollande will meet Eric Schmidt, the head of Google, and Facebook chief operating officer Sheryl Sandberg, as well as representatives from Twitter and Mozilla.

Hollande is reportedly planning to voice concerns about data protection and the tax optimisation schemes of major internet companies such as Google. Last week Google was reportedly hit with a 1 billion bill in unpaid taxes by the French fiscal authorities.

Officials say, however, that relations between the two countries are excellent, despite revelations last year that American intelligence agencies had been snooping on the French and other Europeans.

And the criticism will not be all one way. Hollande is sure to face hard questions from Silicon Valley firms about Frances high taxes for companies and what are seen as business-unfriendly economic policies.

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Hollande to get super-red carpet treatment on US state visit