French President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday hailed the strength of Franco-British ties despite Brexit, but warned that he would not allow Britain's financial industry to have privileged access to the EU single market.
"I have one demand and that is that the single market is preserved. It is one of the basic principles of the European Union," Macron said at a joint news conference with British Prime Minister Theresa May.
"Now the choice in on the British side. There can not be a differentiated access to the single market of which financial services are part," he said.
Tackling jihadis
The British prime minister is also set to commit to sending Royal Air Force (RAF) helicopters to a key French counter-terrorism operation in Mali.
The deployment of three RAF Chinook helicopters to provide logistic support to French troops tackling jihadis across Africa's Sahel region is part of broader counter-terrorism and military efforts there by the UN, the EU and the African Union.
It is seen as particularly significant as France is lacking in such capabilities and Britain's commitment could mark the start of a longer-term deployment in the region.
"Recent terrorist attacks across Europe underline the scale of the cross-border challenge we face in keeping our citizens safe," a UK government spokesman said.
France in turn has agreed to commit troops to the British-led NATO battlegroup in Estonia in 2019.
At the summit the pair will also discuss their joint crackdown on online extremism "to ensure that the internet cannot be used as a safe space for terrorists and criminals," the spokesman said.
Britain is also expected to allocate £50 million (AUD $86 million) in additional aid for those affected by epidemics, natural disasters and conflict across Mali, Niger, Chad, North Cameroon, Burkina Faso and Mauritania.
Share
