The prime minister of the UK, Rishi Sunak is visiting Paris for the first time since coming to power. Both leaders first met face-to-face at the COP27 summit in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt.
The leaders are all set to work closely on the ongoing crisis in Ukraine and strike a deal to collaborate on creating next next-generation long-range missiles.
This is also the first bilateral summit between the countries since the Pandemic and Ukraine crisis. France and UK are NATO powers and have a huge contribution to creating the security framework of the continent as nuclear powers. the countries are also permanent members of the United Nations Security Council.
Rishi Sunak’s official statement also confirms that the UK will be hosting the Fourth meeting of the European Political Community in 2024.
UK- France fallout after the Brexit
The historically allied countries had a halt since Brexit. The partnership between the two countries got weakened. Both leaders are eager to mend the relationship.
Rishi Sunak in the official statement talked about both countries share a long history of partnership and global Outlook. Sunak calls the partnership between the UK – France “Essential”.
The France – UK summit to re-boost the bilateral relationship between the two after five years.
Enhance the Defence capability of NATO
The leaders talked about increasing the defence capability of NATO against Russian aggression. This is also important to safeguard the future of Europe from threats. The countries will work on next-generation missiles to provide to Ukraine.
Recently Rishi Sunak at Munich Security Conference 2024 talked about NATO countries supporting Ukraine with military weapons. He also mentioned providing training to the Ukraine military against Russia.
Involvement in the Indo – Pacific region
The leaders also mentioned the importance of safeguarding the Indo – Pacific region. UK officials have responded to the challenges faced in the region due to the increasing presence of China.
Both countries would collaborate to enhance their presence in the region.
Sunak to discuss the Migration
Migration has been a prominent security and political issue in the continent. The countries have been facing backlash from their people to resolve the issue. Migration is on the agenda for Sunak as its electoral promise. He is adamant about stopping the small boats from crossing the channel.
France was fast enough to refute the claims made by the UK that they are not doing enough to control these small boats through France’s coastline. France officials said that they have given legal asylum to more people than the UK. The French authorities claim that they have been able to stop around 3,000 arrivals to the U.K. in the current year.
French authorities also added that migration should be looked at as a global problem and not only an issue of a specific country. There is a need for a broader vision in dealing with illegal migration.
Last year in November, both countries signed an agreement to increase police patrols on beaches. The UK government agreed to pay Paris €72.2 million in 2022-2024 to control the illegal cooperation.
The leaders will also discuss military ties, combatting China, the energy crisis, Ukraine-Russia conflict. They will also talk about strengthening NATO to secure Europe.
Rishi Sunak at Munich Security Conference talked about supporting Ukraine with military weapons and providing training to the Ukraine military against Russia.
