Emmanuel Macron, “friend or enemy” of the United Kingdom? “A great friend, certainly”, slice Friday Rishi Sunak, British Prime Minister in an interview with the newspaper Le Figaroa few hours a summit in Paris aimed at writing the “renewal” of the “essential” alliance between France and the United Kingdom after years of estrangement.
Fifteen days before a State visit to France by King Charles III for his first trip abroad, this Franco-British meeting should enable the two countries to make progress on partnership issues such as the fight against illegal immigration, cooperation on defense or military aid to Ukraine.
“Our long history, our closeness and our shared vision of global challenges mean that a close partnership between the UK and France is not only important, it is essential,” Rishi Sunak said in a statement shortly before his arrived at the Elysée.
“As we face new and unprecedented threats, it is crucial to strengthen the foundations of our alliance to be ready to face the challenges of the future,” he added.
“It is crucial to break the circle of criminal gangs”
On the British side, the emphasis is on the fight against illegal immigration, a source of tension between the two sides of the Channel. Paris and London have negotiated “a strengthening” of their cooperation and the means to control migratory flows from France, in the wake of the Treaty of Sandhurst signed in 2018 and a new agreement concluded in November, according to the two countries.
In the entourage of the British conservative leader, it is considered “crucial” to work “with the French to prevent crossings and the loss of human life in the Channel”, while more than 45,000 migrants illegally reached the English coast in 2022 on makeshift boats. “It is crucial to break the circle of criminal gangs. This is the reality: criminal organizations facilitate the movement of people”, insists the British Prime Minister in THE Figaro.
Giving new impetus to defense cooperation
The Russian invasion of Ukraine also presents a common challenge to the first two European armies, the only two equipped with nuclear weapons in Europe, pushed to come together.
A context which makes it possible to “give new impetus” to cooperation on defense, said an adviser to the French president about this partnership engraved in stone by the Treaty of Lancaster House in 2010 but muted since Brexit.
According to London, the two leaders will announce “increased coordination of the supply of arms to Ukraine and the training” of Ukrainian soldiers, so that “thousands more” of them are ready for combat.
A “strategic partnership” must also be concluded on nuclear energy, and cross-investments announced by companies from the two countries, all with the common thread of decarbonizing the economy to fight against global warming.