British Prime Minister Stamer said at a joint press conference with visiting French President Maqueron at the Northwood military base outside London on the 10th that both Britain and France have signed the Northwood Declaration, for the first time, it was clear that the two sides would co-ordinate their separate nuclear deterrents.
Maqueron told a press conference that defence and security co-operation was vital for France and the UK. The situation in Europe had changed and the franco- partnership“Must be adjusted accordingly”, he said.
Under the Northwood Declaration, any adversary that threatens the core interests of the UK or France is likely to face a joint response by their nuclear forces. There will also be a franco-british nuclear steering group, led by the Élysée Palace and the British Cabinet Office, to co-ordinate co-operation on issues such as deterrence.
Britain and France are the only nuclear-weapon states in Europe. Earlier this year, Maqueron said he was open to discussions about French“Nuclear umbrellas” for European allies and the deployment of French warplanes with nuclear weapons in other European countries.
Maqueron concluded his three-day state visit to the UK yesterday. During the visit, the leaders of Britain and France also reached an agreement on combating illegal immigration and smuggling, the two sides said they will further strengthen cooperation in supercomputers, satellite communications, artificial intelligence, civil nuclear energy and space exploration.