Rishi Sunak has arrived in Paris to inaugurate a “new chapter” in British-French relations as he reforms ties with President Emmanuel Macron following five years of turbulence.
“Boots on the ground” and increased cooperation can make the most immediate impact in dealing with the migrant crisis, according to the prime minister, who is attempting to improve relations with his French counterpart after years of strained relations.
The prime minister is meeting with “Emmanuel” at the Elysee Palace to discuss preventing small boats from traversing the English Channel, Ukraine, and China, and enhancing military cooperation.
Mr. Sunak and President Macron are likely to reach an additional agreement in which French authorities will disrupt people traffickers on beaches and share information in exchange for tens of millions of pounds in additional British payments to France.
Mr. Sunak defended paying more just months after agreeing to pay £63 million in November.
The prime minister said it was a “good thing for us to do” and a “sensible investment.”
Remember, we announced that agreement with the French about a month after I became prime minister.
“As I previously stated, I believe this is already a positive omen for the future. As I met President Macron at the COP a few weeks after becoming prime minister.
“I had a conversation that led to the home secretary’s encounters with the Calais group and other matters.
“Therefore, I have already demonstrated rapid progress, but that is not the end of the story.
“The more time and effort I’ve devoted to this issue, the more confident I am that we’ll be able to resolve it. And I’ll do everything possible to make that happen.”
Regarding the possibility of a returns agreement with France, the Prime Minister stated that the urgent priority was stopping small boat crossings “given the nature and scope of the problem we face.”
“Right now, boots on the ground and greater cooperation between our teams are the things that can make the most difference in the short term, and that’s where we focus the majority of our attention,” he explained.
This is a “new chapter in our relationship” with France, a “very close friend.”
Mr. Sunak lauded France as a “very close friend” following years of conflict.
Boris Johnson, who had a tense personal relationship with Mr. Macron, and Liz Truss, who questioned whether he was “friend or foe,” caused the relationship to deteriorate.
Mr. Sunak is accompanied by a phalanx of cabinet ministers, including the Home Secretary, Suella Braverman, the Foreign Secretary, James Cleverly, and the Transport Secretary, Mark Harper, for the first extensive discussions of this nature since 2018.
On the Eurostar to Paris, Mr. Sunak stated, “At the time, I stated that I believed France to be a close ally of the United Kingdom, and I abide by that statement.
“It’s not just a neighbor, it’s not just an ally, it’s not just a trading partner; France has always been a friend of the United Kingdom, and it’s better for our citizens, for French citizens, when our two countries work closely together, and that’s what today is all about.”
He praised “Emmanuel” and remarked that it marked a “new chapter in our relationship.”
Constructive engagement
Mr. Sunak ushered in a new era of cooperation with EU partners after relations deteriorated following Brexit, particularly after concluding the Windsor Framework agreement on Northern Ireland.
He stated, “Now that the Windsor Framework has been approved, I expect that it will pave the way for additional areas of constructive engagement, dialogue, and cooperation with the EU.
“I think we are starting to see some of that from President (Ursula) von der Leyen the other week about research collaboration but I think more generally there’s a range of things now that we will be able to have a constructive and positive dialogue on, and so that’s one of the things that I want to talk to them about.”
However, he has conceded that there will be no agreement today regarding the return of migrants from the United Kingdom to France, as Mr. Macron has insisted that this must be determined at the EU level and there are signs of division among the 27-member bloc.
