Emmanuel Macron is set to extend an olive branch to Rishi Sunak when they meet for a Franco-British summit in Paris on Friday.
The French president is aiming to inject a “new dynamic” into the Entente Cordiale – 119 years after its signing between the two nations – following years of Brexit bust-ups.
According to reports in the Evening Standard, it will mark an “important step” in the recovery process.
An Elysée Palace source described it as a “moment when we demonstrate ambition, determination and a real openness to do more together.
“If I was to quote a certain movie I would say it can be the beginning of a beautiful renewed friendship, which is very much the mindset in Paris,” he added, referring to Humphrey Bogart’s famous line in Casablanca.
Rishi Sunak faced MPs for the first time this afternoon since detailing plans for fresh laws to curb Channel crossings.
The Prime Minister went head to head with Sir Keir Starmer after Labour described the proposed policy as a “con” that was no more likely to be successful than prior Tory efforts to tackle the migration crisis.
Sunak was also challenged over how the legislation will work in practice and how it might stand up to anticipated legal challenges.
According to the Evening Standard reports, France is “ready to do more” with the UK on police co-operation on restricting the “small boats” from leaving Pas-de-Calais shores after more than 45,000 people were detected arriving in the UK last year.
So far this year, some 3,150 people have made the crossing, down from last year but significantly more than pre-2021.
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