UK-France Leaders Declaration
Source: gov.uk (2025-07-10)

The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and the President of the French Republic met today in Downing Street for the 37th UK-France Summit.

The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and the President of the French Republic met today in Downing Street for the 37th UK-France Summit.

The United Kingdom and France share a commitment to peace, democracy, the rule of law, the rules-based international order, and human rights. In an international context in which these values are increasingly jeopardised, France and the United Kingdom share a responsibility to stand up for these aims and values, as major European countries, permanent members of the United Nations Security Council, major world economies, and open democracies. Our relationship and cooperation are fundamental.

Our two countries share a unique friendship, an intertwined history and profound connections between our people, businesses, and communities. As we open a new chapter in our bilateral and European ties, also building on the outcome of the first EU-UK Summit held in May 2025, we want to make our people safer and more secure, champion fair and lasting peace worldwide, deepen our defence and security collaboration, support competitiveness and growth for our economies, providing jobs, and prosperity to our countries.

Foreign Policy/Global Issues

We reaffirm our determination to ensure Russia does not prevail in its illegal war of aggression, as well as our commitment to lasting support to Ukraine, including security assurances that safeguard its independence and sovereignty. Today we convened the Coalition of the Willing bringing together more than thirty nations committed to Ukraine’s long-term security. We welcomed the development of mature operational plans to deploy a reassurance force once hostilities have ceased, and to help secure Ukraine’s skies and seas and regenerate Ukraine’s armed forces. We have agreed to launch a Counter-Shadow Fleet Partnership to crack down on dangerous Russian-backed vessels in the Channel, reduce Russian oil revenues via these vessels, and safeguard our maritime security. Alongside this, we commit to seeking a lowering of the crude oil price cap, further depriving Russia of the oil revenues it uses to fund its barbaric war. We will strengthen our joint efforts to prevent the supplying of dual-use components and weapons to Russia by third countries’ entities. We reiterate our readiness to step up pressure on Russia as it refuses to commit to peace. We are committed to defending democracy and stability in the wider European neighbourhood and have agreed to work together on new support to strengthen resilience in the Western Balkans and Moldova. We welcome the conclusion of the negotiations on a peace treaty between Armenia and Azerbaijan, and urge the parties to sign this agreement as soon as possible

We reaffirm our determination that Iran can never have a nuclear weapon. We will continue our cooperation, including in the E3 format with Germany, working with the US to ensure a robust deal on Iran’s nuclear programme that takes into account our shared security interests. We will continue to advocate for the resumption of Iran’s full cooperation with the IAEA. We are committed to addressing the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, pushing for an immediate ceasefire, and the release of all remaining hostages. We reaffirm our commitment to recognising a Palestinian state, as a contribution to a peace process. We will work together to support its development and the realisation of a Two-State Solution. We are also stepping up our coordination on security and humanitarian challenges in support of wider regional stability in Syria and Lebanon.

Beyond Europe, we share a responsibility and resolve to defend our values and interests. As demonstrated by the actions of Russia’s enablers, our security is inextricably linked to the Indo-Pacific. We will strengthen our coordination and work together for a free, open, and sovereign Indo-Pacific through new joint maritime security training, reciprocal base access, and joint support to regional organisations. We will launch a Global Maritime Security Dialogue. We jointly reaffirm our commitment to peace and stability in the Korean peninsula, in the South and East China Seas, and in the Taiwan Strait, where we call for the peaceful resolution of cross-Strait issues. We will keep coordinating efforts and initiatives to address peace and security challenges in Africa and their humanitarian consequences, in particular regarding Sudan and the Great Lakes.

We will continue to act through the European Political Community to respond to common security challenges, including irregular migration, and promoting stability and democratic resilience, competitive and economic growth throughout the continent.

We share a commitment to strengthening the multilateral system and working together for reform across the three pillars of the UN. We have today agreed to expand our cooperation on humanitarian disaster preparation and responses, and to coordinate our work on global issues such as climate change, poverty and promotion of sexual and reproductive health rights. We support the next phase of the International Advisory Panel on Biodiversity Credits by each committing seed funding to unlock philanthropic finance and sustainable nature-positive outcomes.

Defence And Security

The return of conventional warfighting at scale in Europe, combined with hostile state actors, hybrid warfare and disinformation, requires a new, whole of society and government approach. As Europe’s two nuclear powers and leading militaries, we share responsibility for the continent’s defence and security. We are united in the face of profound security threats and challenges, in particular the immediate and pressing threat posed by Russia to Euro-Atlantic security.

Today we announced Lancaster House 2.0 to modernise our cooperation. Through this we agree to deepen and broaden our unique defence and security partnership enshrined in the 2010 Lancaster House Treaties, a core pillar of security in Europe, complementing our cooperation in NATO and reinforcing Europe’s contribution to it, as well as the UK-EU Security and Defence Partnership.

Deepening our longstanding and resolute commitment to cooperation of our independent nuclear deterrents, we have agreed to set out, in a specific statement, our contribution to the defence of European partners and NATO allies, and that whilst our nuclear forces are independent, they can be coordinated. We have decided to establish a UK-France Nuclear Steering Group that will coordinate policy, capability and operation.

We will launch the Combined Joint Force, to build a shared capability of sufficient scale for warfighting, and ready to operate in all domains, including space and cyber, in the defence of Europe. This evolution of the existing Combined Joint Expeditionary Force will continue to be at the forefront of Coalition of the Willing planning. We have also agreed the path for new military capability projects, including the next generation of our Deep Strike and Air-to-Air missiles.

We will deepen our cooperation on cyber issues, tackling the proliferation and irresponsible use of commercial hacking capabilities. We will address emerging threats, including in the hybrid domain, whilst harnessing the transformative potential of Artificial Intelligence and emerging technologies. We will maximise our impact against the highest-threat terrorist groups including deepening our counter-terrorism cooperation in Syria.

We are committed to redoubling our collaboration to ensure the Euro-Atlantic security architecture remains fit for purpose, with European allies both shouldering their existing obligations and fully involved in shaping any new arrangements. We will intensify our cooperation with Germany and other partners to this end.

Irregular Migration

The cruelty of organised gangs who smuggle individuals across the Channel at great risk to life blights both our societies. Today, we announce a strengthening of our cooperation to tackle illegal Channel crossings, focused on reducing the risk to life at sea, breaking the criminal gang networks through law enforcement cooperation, and working upstream to tackle the root causes and smuggling networks.

We continue to work together on novel and innovative approaches to intercept boats, exemplified by the ongoing French Maritime Review supporting enhanced Maritime co-operation, to ensure we adapt as the criminal gangs change their approach. We seek to use all the tools at our disposal, including both existing and new sanctions, to tackle people smuggling, trafficking, and organised immigration crime. In parallel, the United Kingdom is intensifying its efforts to reform its domestic asylum system, deliver on increasing returns and tackle illegal working.

France and the UK have agreed to trial a pilot to deter illegal journeys across Europe to the UK and dangerous small boat crossings while saving lives, as an innovative approach to break the business model of organised gangs. It will provide for the readmission of migrants directly to France after an illegal journey by small boat to the United Kingdom and will also offer a reciprocal legal route to the UK for migrants in France, with a principle of equivalence between the number of readmissions to France and the number of legal admissions to the UK. The agreement will be finalised and signed subject to completing prior legal scrutiny in full transparency and understanding with the Commission and EU Member states as this initiative is related to an EU external border, and implemented within a few weeks, subject to the above processes, with real-time monitoring. We are pursuing an ambitious approach that complements wider European cooperation on irregular migration, including working together to prevent irregular Channel crossings within the Common Understanding agreed at the UK-EU Summit on 19 May.

In this context, building on the Sandhurst Agreement, the United Kingdom reaffirms its commitment to fund Maritime action, increased law enforcement response onshore and inland, alongside new joint upstream working to tackle the issue at source and in transit, through the existing financial agreement through to March 2026, and through the finalisation of a new three year cycle (2026-2029) as soon as possible.

Growth

We will ensure continued cooperation and leadership on economic sectors of the future, leading to more growth, skills, and high-quality jobs for our people. This collaboration will make us stronger, remove barriers, and boost our collective resilience and cooperation on economic security, including on critical minerals. We will lead Europe on safely harnessing AI to the benefit of our people and economies, partnering our supercomputers and incubators, and combining the forces of our world-leading universities and research.

We are committed to protecting our Critical National Infrastructure that underpins our thriving economies. Satellite connectivity is strategically important to Europe’s security and resilience and the UK’s investment in the Eutelsat Group is a demonstration of our commitment to this important technology, alongside the French Government and other existing shareholders. The UK will thus join, prorated to its current stake, the capital increase led by the French State and other existing shareholders of Eutelsat announced on June 19 - taking the total amount of capital raised to €1.5 billion. In the context of European Space Projects, we welcome UK suppliers bidding for supply chain commercial contracts when conditions are met. We will also work towards a resilient terrestrial alternative to Global Navigation Satellite Systems.

Together, we will lead the way for Europe’s transition to net zero, creating the green jobs of the future and securing affordable energy supplies for our people. Today we reassert our resolve to diversify civil nuclear supply chains from Russia, upskill our nuclear workforces, and manage a responsible nuclear legacy. We welcome the confirmation by EDF of a 12.5% stake in Sizewell C post Financial Close and the proposed issuance of a €6 billion/£5 billion debt guarantee facility to Sizewell C from Bpifrance Assurance export.

Today, we have agreed that our regulators will move forward in assessing interconnection projects under proportionately-agreed cost and revenue sharing arrangements between beneficiaries, aiming at delivering 1GW further interconnection by 2035. The delivery of further interconnection will be considered in line with national strategic plans. We will continue to work together on key technologies, including offshore wind, carbon capture, usage and storage, and hydrogen.

We agree to deepen our collaboration on transport, particularly across the Channel, seeking ways to support decarbonisation, protect maritime workers’ pay and conditions, and support growth in the international rail sector. We also welcome the newly-adopted full bilateral framework on the Channel Tunnel, supporting the continued flow of passengers and goods.

People-to-People

We are delighted to announce an exceptional cultural partnership with the unprecedented loan of the Bayeux Tapestry to the UK, for an exhibition in the British Museum between September 2026 and July 2027, and the loan of the Sutton Hoo Treasures among other masterpieces from the British Museum, for exhibitions in the Museums of Rouen and Caen, recalling the deep historical ties between our two countries. This exchange will feature as part of the 2027 European Year of the Normans which will celebrate the millennium of William the Conqueror, through cooperation, cultural and educational activities that will recall the strength of our links, past, present, and future. We will celebrate artistic, educational, and community-driven activity through events and initiatives that will support our creative industries. We will also work together to celebrate the 2027 Grand Départ of the Tour de France from the UK.

We welcome the decision by the French government to facilitate the recognition by local authorities of UK blue badges throughout France for disabled drivers. We will expand connections between UK and French schools, supported by an extension of the arrangements we have made to facilitate school trips in both directions. We will maintain our working relationships on the introduction of the Schengen Entry/Exit System (EES) within the agreed EU framework and timetable to assure security and fluidity across our common border crossing points. Finally, we welcome further constructive exchanges between our Parliaments.