London. French President Emmanuel Macron has started a two-day visit to Britain from Wednesday with the aim of further strengthening UK-EU relations after Brexit. He has inaugurated the exhibition of the historical Bayeux Tapestry and will hold bilateral talks with the newly appointed British Prime Minister Andy Burnham on Thursday.
Macron has become the first EU leader to meet Burnham since he became prime minister. UK-EU relations, economic cooperation, immigration and cooperation in Ukraine are expected to be the main topics in the talks between the two leaders. Burnham wants to boost cooperation with France to boost Britain's sluggish economic growth and stop migrants entering the UK in small boats via the English Channel.
As a cultural aspect of the visit, the Bayeux Tapestry, which is about 950 years old, is on display in London. The 11th-century artwork, which depicts the conquest of England by William the Conqueror of Normandy, is on display outside France for the first time in more than nine centuries. Macron played an important role in the initiative to send the tapestry to Britain.
Macron and former Prime Minister Kiir Starmer have been in close cooperation on issues including Ukraine and the Middle East. Burnham also wants to continue the 'E-3' cooperation between Starmer, Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz. However, it is seen that the changes that may come in the European political equation may add challenges to it.
Professor Anand Menon of King's College London said that although there is good cooperation between Britain and France on issues like Ukraine, it is difficult to make concrete progress on important issues of economic and EU relations. According to him, real agreement on economic and political issues will be more important than friendly relations.
Macron has been advocating for stronger European sovereignty while reducing dependence on the US. In that context, he is trying to keep Britain as an important partner in Europe's security and strategic cooperation even after Brexit.
After becoming Prime Minister, Burnham welcomed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to Downing Street and went to Kiev on his first foreign visit. According to Downing Street, he met with the President of the EU Council, Antonio Costa, and said that Britain should take more bold steps to get closer to the EU.
Macron is also expected to meet with Britain's King Charles III. Although the Macron-Burnham talks on Thursday are expected to further strengthen the relationship between the two countries, economic cooperation and solid progress in UK-EU relations are seen as the main achievements of the visit.
