Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer will meet with the French president Emmanuel Macron on Thursday, Downing Street has said.
Illegal migration and support for Ukraine are likely to be among the topics up for discussion when they pair meet at Chequers – the Prime Minister’s country residence.
The Prime Minister’s official spokesman told reporters on Wednesday: “Tomorrow the Prime Minister will meet French President Emmanuel Macron.
“The meeting will focus on areas of cooperation and shared global challenges including support for Ukraine, tech and AI, growth and tackling illegal migration.”
The meeting comes ahead of President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration, and there have been concerns about what his return to the White House could mean for US support for Ukraine.
It is also set against the backdrop of the number of migrants arriving in the UK after crossing the Channel in small boats being up by a quarter in 2024 on the previous year.
Some 36,816 people made the journey in 2024, a jump of 25% from the 29,437 who arrived in 2023, according to figures from the Home Office.
Sir Keir travelled to Paris in November to attend a French service on Armistice Day at the invitation of Mr Macron.
The Prime Minister met with the President ahead of the commemorations and the pair discussed a number of similar topics to those expected to be on the table on Thursday, including Ukraine and the response to small boat crossings in the Channel.
He was the first British prime minister to attend the events since Winston Churchill in 1944.
