Chilly UK-France Summit Holds First Solo Meeting in 4 Years

"Discussion on Cooperation for Security and Migration Issues"

[Asia Economy Reporter Jo Yoo-jin] French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak will hold a summit at the ?lys?e Palace in Paris on March 10. This is being seen as a signal of the restoration of relations between the two leaders, who have publicly clashed around the time of the UK's Brexit (the United Kingdom's withdrawal from the European Union).

According to major foreign media on the 11th (local time), the UK Prime Minister's Office announced that Prime Minister Sunak will visit France on that day to hold talks aimed at strengthening bilateral cooperation in areas such as climate and security. The meeting between the two leaders was discussed during the first phone call between them since Sunak took office in October last year.

Foreign media have evaluated the meeting between the French and British leaders as a sign that the previously frosty relations between the UK and its major European Union (EU) partners have begun to thaw since former UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson stepped down in September last year.

The last one-on-one meeting between the two leaders was in August 2019, when former Prime Minister Johnson visited the ?lys?e Palace in Paris for the first time after taking office, at the invitation of President Macron.

At that time, there was a tense standoff throughout the negotiations on setting the relationship between the UK and the EU after Brexit, ultimately confirming only the differences in positions without any achievements.

Since then, communication has been maintained through multilateral meetings such as the Group of Seven (G7) summits, where bilateral talks were held.

French President Emmanuel Macron (left) and UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak. [Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

The French Presidential Office and the UK Prime Minister's Office explained that this summit "will be an opportunity to deepen cooperation between the two countries in a wide range of areas including security, climate, energy, economy, migration, youth, and shared diplomatic goals."

Since Prime Minister Sunak took office in October last year, unlike during the tenures of former Prime Ministers Boris Johnson and Liz Truss, the UK and France have not shown public conflicts.

A representative example is the short-term measure to address illegal migration across the English Channel, which had rarely found a breakthrough during the Johnson and Truss administrations, established in November last year.

The UK decided to provide financial support to France to strengthen crackdowns on migrants attempting to cross the Channel in small boats from northern France during 2022?2023.

This measure came immediately after President Macron and Prime Minister Sunak met face-to-face for the first time at the 27th United Nations Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP27) held in Egypt.

The issue of illegal migration across the English Channel is expected to be discussed again when President Macron and Prime Minister Sunak meet two months later, a spokesperson for the Prime Minister's Office told reporters.

Last year, 45,756 migrants crossed the English Channel and entered British territory, marking a record high, causing the UK government to struggle with countermeasures.

President Macron had declared in November last year that he would hold a summit to discuss ways to strengthen defense cooperation with Prime Minister Sunak, so related consultations are also expected.