35th UK-France Summit, Sandhurst, United Kingdom, 18 January 2018 – Emmanuel Macron meets Theresa May at UK-France summit

Background

Created in 1976 the France-British Summit was a regular meeting between the President of France and the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and their government ministers.

Its objective was to strengthen strategic bilateral cooperation in the following areas:

+ Defence
+ Security
+ Counter-terrorism
+ Energy
+ Climate and environment
+ Education
+ Research and innovation

The 2018 Summit took place in the context of the UK negotiating to leave the European Union (Brexit), with Britain claiming it still wanted to maintain a close security relationship with its European partners, and President's Macron's European Intervention Initiative.

In addition, France sought further cooperation from the United Kingdom in connection with the migration challenges facing France and, in particular, the pressures facing Calais.
|The 35th UK-France Summit took place in Sandhurst, UK, on 18 January 2018 between Emmanuel Macron. President of France and Theresa May, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.

A range of agreements were signed at the summit including in the field of security, migration, economy and culture, with France offering to loan the Bayeux Tapestry to the UK in the near future.

Following the Summit a series of documents were published covering agreements in the following areas:

+ Security and defence
+ Protecting our Internal Security
+ Cyber and Digital Security
+ Foreign Policy and Development Compact
+ Treaty concerning the reinforcement of co-operation for the co-ordinated management of their shared border
+ Shared Solutions
+ Conclusions from the UK-France Civil Nuclear Energy Seminar
+ Declaration of Intent concerning Enhancing Collaboration in Civil Nuclear Decommissioning and Waste Management
+ Declaration of Implementation of the Framework Arrangement on Space Cooperation
+ Letter of Intent for a Memorandum of Understanding for the Strategic Genomics Research and Development Partnership
+ Shared futures
+ Declaration of Intention on Sports Cooperation

For further information on specific topics dealt with at the summit click on the links below:

+ defence and security cooperation
+ Migration and the challenges of Calais

Blog: Open Europe, 18.01.18: UK-France summit setting roadmap for future relationship https://openeurope.org.uk/impact/uk-france-summit-setting-roadmap-future-relationship/

Blog: Politics at Surrey, 18.01.18: Tightening Le Touquet and the second-order effects of Brexit http://politicsatsurrey.ideasoneurope.eu/2018/01/18/tightening-le-touquet-second-order-effects-brexit/

France24, 18.01.18: Terrorism, migration top the agenda of UK summit with Macron and May http://www.france24.com/en/20180118-terrorism-migration-brexit-top-agenda-uk-summit-macron-may

In Facts, 19.01.18: Macron echoes De Gaulle on following the rules https://infacts.org/macron-echoes-de-gaulle-following-rules/

Politico, 18.01.18: Macron’s UK meeting hints at life after Brexit https://www.politico.eu/article/emmanuel-macron-uk-meeting-hints-at-life-after-brexit/

The Guardian, 15.01.18: UK and France may drift apart after Brexit, warns former ambassador https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2018/jan/15/uk-and-france-may-drift-apart-after-brexit-warns-former-ambassador

UK: GOV.UK: News, 18.01.18: UK to step up French operations in Africa as PM and President Macron meet for UK-France Summit https://www.gov.uk/government/news/uk-to-step-up-french-operations-in-africa-as-pm-and-president-macron-meet-for-uk-france-summit

UK: GOV.UK: Policy Paper: UK-France Summit 2018: documents https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/uk-france-summit-2018-documents

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