LONDON

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer welcomed French President Emmanuel Macron to Downing Street on Wednesday as the two leaders reaffirmed their commitment to closer UK-France ties.

The meeting on the eve of the 37th UK-France Summit saw both leaders set a shared ambition to deepen cooperation in key areas, including defense, trade, energy, and tackling irregular migration.

Downing Street said the leaders reflected positively on the state visit, describing it as a strong representation of the enduring relationship between the two countries.

Among the highlights of discussions was the announcement that French energy company, EDF, will take a 12.5% stake in the UK’s Sizewell C nuclear power project.

Starmer hailed the move as a major step toward enhancing Britain’s energy security, lowering household bills and creating new jobs.

On Ukraine, they reiterated their joint commitment to supporting Kyiv in the face of continued Russian aggression.

They also discussed strengthening defense collaboration between the two nations, including deeper military cooperation and coordination.

Irregular migration, particularly small boat crossings across the English Channel, was a key focus of the talks. The two leaders agreed that addressing the issue is a shared priority that demands joint solutions.

Starmer emphasized his government’s measures to toughen enforcement, including a sharp increase in arrests related to illegal working -- efforts aimed at undermining the incentives used by people-smuggling networks.

Looking ahead, both leaders said progress was needed to break the business model of criminal gangs facilitating dangerous crossings, and they committed to pursuing new and innovative deterrent strategies.