French President Emmanuel Macron arrives in Britain today for an official three-day state visit, BNR reported. The last time a French president visited Britain was in 2008, when Nicolas Sarkozy was received by Elizabeth II.
Macron's visit will be the first state visit to the United Kingdom since Charles III ascended the throne. King Charles and Queen Camilla will welcome the president and his wife Brigitte Macron at Windsor Castle. Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Emmanuel Macron will hold talks on key priorities for both countries, including migration, economic growth, and defense and security in the face of threats from Russia, China and other countries.
The two leaders will also host an online meeting with allies from the so-called “Coalition of the Willing“ on Thursday. Britain and France are leading efforts to create the coalition, which aims to send peacekeeping forces to monitor a possible future ceasefire agreement in Ukraine.
On migration, the United Kingdom is pushing for a “one migrant in, one migrant out” to tackle the "small boat" crisis, which has seen a growing number of people risking their lives to cross the English Channel in overcrowded, unseaworthy inflatable boats, and has seen a rising number of deaths.
On another sensitive subject - that of the Middle East, last week the "Daily Telegraph" reported that Macron would try to pressure Starmer to recognise Palestine as a state.