Britain to pay France $60 million for border security

Brexit

French President Emmanuel Macron (L) gestures to Britain’s Prime Minister Theresa May after they hold a press conference at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, west of London on January 18, 2018. (AFP PHOTO: Ludovic Marin)

High-level talks between the U.K. and France lead to millions of dollars in aid. French President Emmanuel Macron demanded the extra funding to help with the hundreds of migrants at the Port of Calais. CGTN’s Richard Bestic has the details in London.

Amid the pomp of a military parade, U.K. Prime Minister Theresa May and the French President displayed their entente cordial. It was pertinent pageantry, as the deal between the two included joint European and African defense and intelligence initiatives. The message sent that was despite Brexit, Britain had much to offer.

“There is no circumstance in which we could envisage the vital interests of the U.K. or France being threatened without the other being affected,” the prime minister said.

It was an apparent agreement on the plight of migrants stranded in Calais in a pitiful trek to Britain. The U.K.’s extra $60 million would intensify security. By extension, Britain would be accepting more migrants into the country.

Ahead of his meeting with Theresa May, the French President grabbed the headlines by offering to lend Britain the Bayeux Tapestry. The artwork is an 11th century embroidered cloth depicting the Norman conquest of Britain. 

“Let me make it very clear. I’m not here to punish or reward. I want to make sure the Single Market is preserved because that’s at the heart of the European Union,” the president said.

The tone set at the Sandhurst military academy near London stressed the enduring nature of Anglo-French military, economic and cultural ties.