“A masterpiece of statesmanship,” declared The Daily Telegraph. “Un résultat considérable,” judged Le Figaro. It is relatively rare for diplomats to secure such coverage of our work. It is rarer still for such plaudits to stand the test of time.
Yet today, 120 years since these newspaper reports were filed, we both see how significant an achievement establishing an Entente Cordiale between our countries was.
The texts themselves were very much of their era, detailing as they did compromises on colonial disputes. But in making such compromises, our governments were, as one paper put it, making a “pledge of the essential unity of our interests and desires”. This indisputably provided the basis for two neighbours to forge a close friendship.
Over 120 years, our nations have remade this pledge.
We did so in the darkest of days – the 120th anniversary of the Entente Cordiale coincides with the 80th anniversary of the D-Day and Provence landings, and the subsequent liberation of France.
We did so in the pursuit of transformational changes – 2024 also marks 30 years since the opening of the Channel Tunnel, a remarkable feat of engineering enabling a constant stream of travel between our countries.
We did so in 2010, proudly signing the Lancaster House Treaties. And our leaders did so last year, holding the 36th UK-France Summit in the same year as President Macron received His Majesty King Charles on a memorable state visit.
And we did so in 2003, when we signed the Treaty of Le Touquet, and then, in 2018, the Treaty of Sandhurst – creating an unprecedented framework to co-operate on security and illegal immigration.
This enduring commitment to our friendship reflects recognition that it remains a foundation for our security and prosperity. Over the past 120 years, we have not only forged a close friendship. We have helped to forge a better world.
These are once again dark days. Russia’s war of aggression in Ukraine is into its third year, and it is having a profound impact on European and Euro-Atlantic security. There is conflict and instability in the Middle East – with ramifications felt deeply in our own societies. And there’s the enormous global challenge of climate change.
Our two countries’ story of friendship should make us optimistic about the future. With so many damaging and long-running disputes in the world, we must seize together the opportunities offered by our partnership.
Last week, we met in Brussels as Nato marked 75 years since its founding. Britain and France, two founding members and Europe’s nuclear powers, have a responsibility in driving the alliance to deal with the challenges before it. Our forces are deployed together in Estonia, demonstrating our commitment to our allies and our contribution to the alliance remaining a cornerstone for European security.
Together, France and Britain will reaffirm our unwavering support for Ukraine at the European Political Community Summit, to be held at Blenheim Palace in July. We will also ensure a productive Nato summit in Washington this summer.
We are both absolutely clear: Ukraine must win this war. If Ukraine loses, we all lose. The costs of failing to support Ukraine now will be far greater than the costs of repelling Putin.
Britain and France are proud of the support we have provided to Ukraine, from unprecedented sanctions to co-ordinated deliveries of the first long-range missile systems, Scalp and Storm Shadow. Just last month, the first Ukrainian pilots graduated from training with the Royal Air Force to start training with the Armée de l’air et de l’espace, as part of a programme to build up Ukraine’s ability to fly modern F-16 fighter jets.
But as discussed during the Paris Conference in February, we must do even more to ensure we defeat Russia. The world is watching – and will judge us if we fail.
We must also continue to co-operate on other global challenges.
We are partners in the fight against terrorism and extremism. Even as we condemn Putin’s war of aggression in Ukraine, we have expressed solidarity with the Russian people after the horrific violence inflicted by Islamic State at Crocus City Hall.
And we must be unwavering in our critical work on tackling climate change and developing carbon-free energy systems.
We have jointly launched a new Global Biodiversity Credits Roadmap, helping to leverage the private sector to support nature, and we remain committed to carrying out the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework. And we are both committed to reforming the international financial system, so that it better supports vulnerable countries to become more resilient to climate shocks.
It is not for France and Britain alone to solve these challenges. But, together, we can rally others to join us in overcoming them. It is as vital that we do so today as it was for our predecessors to put aside their differences and establish the long-lasting friendship we celebrate now, not only as a mark of the Entente Cordiale, but as a reflection of an Entente renewed.
