French President congratulates Starmer on becoming Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and discusses international issues with him
Paris, July 20 (KUNA) -- French President Emmanuel Macron on Monday congratulated the newly appointed British Prime Minister Andy Burnham, expressing his hope to deepen bilateral relations and give new momentum to the partnership between the United Kingdom and the European Union.
In a post on the social media platform X, Macron said, “I extend my congratulations to Andy Burnham on his appointment as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. In light of the shared challenges we face, I hope we can deepen our relations for the benefit of our two peoples and give new momentum to the partnership between the United Kingdom and the European Union.”
Macron also praised former British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, affirming that his commitment to his country had contributed to strengthening cooperation between the United Kingdom, France, and European partners.
In the same context, Burnham and Macron discussed during a phone call efforts aimed at de-escalation in the Middle East region and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, agreeing on the need to continue efforts to achieve these two objectives.
The British government stated in a press release that the two sides discussed the Ukrainian file and emphasized the importance of “continuing support for Ukraine in the face of the large-scale Russian invasion,” including through the co-presidency of the “Coalition of the Willing.”
On the bilateral front, Burnham expressed his aspiration to develop UK-French relations in a manner that serves the interests of both countries. They also discussed enhancing cooperation in the energy and defense sectors, with Burnham expressing his hope to host the French president in the United Kingdom at the earliest opportunity.
Earlier, Burnham announced that, alongside commitments to bring about change, reform the social care system, and expand decentralization, his first political priority would be tackling the problem of homelessness. (End) M.B. / A.S.H. / F.A.S.
