00:00We first met in the Alize, I think about two years ago, before I came into office when
00:06I was leader of the opposition. And it was clear to me then that we had a shared sense
00:12of the dangerous times that we are living through and of our responsibility to step
00:17up and to lead. We also share the fundamental belief that we serve our people better, create
00:26better jobs and opportunities, make our nation stronger, fairer and more secure if we work
00:33together. And the State Visit has been a celebration of this relationship, our unique bonds of history
00:42and of culture. And today our task is to look forward, to deliver a step change in this partnership,
00:51to meet the challenges of this moment and get the results that people want to see, starting
00:58first with tackling illegal migration. Now, this is a global crisis and it is a European
01:05crisis, but it is also very acutely a crisis for our two nations, a crisis of law, security,
01:15humanity and fairness. We face a sprawling, multi-billion-pound enterprise run by organised
01:23criminal gangs, leading hundreds of people to their death in the Channel. So we are determined,
01:30together, to end this vile trade. There is no silver bullet here, but with a united effort,
01:39new tactics and a new level of intent, we can finally turn the tables. So I am pleased to
01:46announce our agreement today on a ground-breaking returns pilot. For the very first time, migrants
01:54arriving via small boat will be detained and returned to France in short order. In exchange
02:05for every return, a different individual will be allowed to come here, via a safe route, controlled
02:13and legal, subject to strict security checks, and only open to those who have not tried to enter the UK
02:23illegally. This will show others trying to make the same journey, that it will be in vain, and the jobs
02:32they have been promised in the UK will no longer exist, because of the nationwide crackdown we are
02:37delivering on illegal working, which is on a completely unprecedented scale. The President and I have
02:44agreed that this pilot will be implemented in coming weeks. Now, I know some people will still ask,
02:53why should we take anyone in? So let me address that directly. We accept genuine asylum seekers,
03:01because it is right that we offer a haven to those in most dire need. But there is also something else
03:09here, something more practical, which is that we simply cannot solve a challenge like stopping the boats
03:16by acting alone and telling our allies that we won't play ball. That is why today's agreement is so
03:24important, because we will solve this, like so many of our problems, by working together. Just look at the
03:32steps the French Government is planning, subject to their ongoing maritime review, to allow their
03:39officers to intervene in shallow waters and prevent more boats from launching. That is a big step, and I
03:45want to thank the President for driving it through. So this is our plan together, hard-headed, aggressive
03:53action on all fronts, to break the gang's business model, secure our borders and show that by attempting
04:02to reach the UK by small boat will only end in failure, detention and return. Second, we have also
04:11made real progress today on boosting jobs and growth, building on our new agreement with the EU.
04:18We are ambitious for what we can do together as G7 economies, close trading partners and leaders in
04:26areas that will dominate in years to come. Together, our countries account for over half of European
04:33spending on research and technology. So we have gone further today, collaborating on satellite connectivity,
04:41bringing together our leading supercomputers to seize the opportunities created by AI,
04:47bringing down barriers to trade and investment in strategic sectors. Just this week, we have
04:53welcomed EDF's major investment in Saizwell C, which will create thousands of jobs, boost our energy
05:02security and protect bill payers for years to come. Third, we have strengthened our work to stand
05:11together for European security and in support of Ukraine. Because I'm clear, the security of the
05:20British people starts in Ukraine. We have just co-chaired a meeting of the Coalition of the Willing,
05:27including representatives from the United States for the first time. We announced plans for a new
05:35multinational force for Ukraine, headquartered in Paris, so that we are ready to support a peace deal
05:42when it comes. But while Putin turns his back on peace, we are rallying more support for Ukraine
05:50right now to defend their people and force Putin to the table. Now, as Europe's only nuclear powers,
05:59and as leaders in NATO, we play a vital role in preserving the peace and security on this continent.
06:09So today we have updated the historic Lancaster House Treaty to protect our people and our way of work.
06:17This is a major modernisation. We are overhauling the combined joint expeditionary force to make it
06:25five times larger, 50,000 troops strong, able to act across every domain. But we're going further.
06:35This morning, we signed the Northwood Declaration, confirming for the first time that we are coordinating
06:44our independent nuclear deterrence. From today, our adversaries will know that any extreme threat
06:52to this continent would prompt a response from our two nations. There is no greater demonstration
07:00of the importance of this relationship. And while we stand together for our collective defence,
07:06we must also deliver a defence dividend for working people. So we have agreed a deeper
07:12industrial partnership today to bring our defence industries closer than ever before.
07:17We are not just talking about stepping up on defence jobs and growth. We are delivering it.
07:26Previous governments tried and failed to secure results like this. We can achieve them now,
07:32because we have taken the time and the care to do the real work, the quiet, serious diplomacy,
07:40to build proper relationships which multiply our strength and the opportunities that we enjoy.
07:47So, Emmanuel, thank you so much for being here. We represent two fiercely proud and independent nations.
07:55But by working together, we are delivering for our people. And we're a force for good
08:00in a dangerous world. Thank you, Emmanuel. And over to you.
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