Sunak-Macron relationship not a 'bromance' but they 'agree on a lot' - Foreign Secretary
James Cleverly said he would not describe the relationship between Rishi Sunak and Emmanuel Macron as a "bromance" but the two leaders do "agree on a lot".
UK-France relations have undoubtedly improved since Mr Sunak became Prime Minister after a series of disputes between the two countries in recent years.
Asked if there was now a new and better era for relations, Mr Cleverly told GB News: "I don’t know if I would go as far as to describe it as a bromance but there is a very strong professional relationship between the UK and France. We don’t agree on everything but we agree on a lot."
Mr Cleverly added: "I am not going to predict exactly what agreements we will be able to settle on but I know that the French President, the Prime Minister, have a shared desire to address the issues that we are going to be discussing."
How today's UK-France summit is likely to play out
Rishi Sunak's Eurostar train to Paris left early this morning and the Prime Minister should arrive in the French capital in time to hold bilateral talks with Emmanuel Macron by around 10am UK time.
The two leaders are then expected to meet with UK and French business leaders before holding a joint press conference mid-afternoon.
Other senior Cabinet ministers including the Defence Secretary Ben Wallace and Foreign Secretary James Cleverly are also attending the UK-France summit - the first held in five years - and will hold talks with their respective counterparts.
'It is in our joint interest to resolve this issue'
James Cleverly, the Foreign Secretary, said it is in the "collective interest" of the whole of Europe to tackle the migrant crisis.
He told Times Radio: "It is in our collective interest to deter people who are abusing all of our countries’ immigration systems, whether it be the UK’s or France.
"This is an international challenge, it demands an international response. The UK and France have been coordinating very, very closely on a whole range of issues including defence and security… and it is in our joint interest to resolve this issue."
UK needs to 'send the message' to small boats migrants that they 'cannot abuse the system' - Cleverly
James Cleverly said the UK needs to "send the message" to people smugglers and small boat migrants that they will not be allowed to "abuse the system" and "knowingly break the law".
The Foreign Secretary told Times Radio: "There is a very distinct difference between the people who play by the rules who make the applications, who take advantage of these safe legal routes or who migrate to the UK through long established legal, the application process like my own mother did and others have done and those people who are knowingly breaking the law going from safe countries and taking advantage of our legal system when they get here.
"We need to understand there is a difference. We are a welcoming and generous nation and we will continue to be so but we also need to send the message that you cannot abuse the system, cannot knowingly break the law and expect the government to take no action in response."
James Cleverly: UK and France should have equal interest in solving small boats crisis
The UK and France should have an equal interest in solving the migrant Channel crossings crisis, James Cleverly has said as Rishi Sunak meets Emmanuel Macron in Paris for talks this morning.
Mr Sunak and Mr Macron will meet as part of the first UK-France summit in five years and the small boats crisis is expected to feature heavily in their discussions.
Mr Cleverly, the Foreign Secretary, said it is "in France’s interest just as much as it is in the UK’s interest" to stop small boat crossings.
He told Times Radio: "It is worth understanding that the number of attempted crossings has risen enormously. This is why our Illegal Migration Bill is so very important because we need to demonstrate to the world, to the people who are putting their hands into people smugglers’, those people attempting to enter the UK illegally, that their efforts will ultimately be unsuccessful and therefore they should stop trying.
"When fit young men who are leaving a country which is perfectly safe and spending money with people traffickers trying to get to the UK they are coming in increasing numbers, and we need to break the business model of those evil people traffickers.
"We need to do that in close cooperation with European allies and today in France we are negotiating how we most effectively deal with this joint challenge because of course it is in France’s interest just as much as it is in the UK’s interest to break the business model of these evil people smugglers."