Boris Johnson tried to win over France’s foreign minister yesterday by speaking in French during a meeting in Paris but kept Brexit largely off the agenda.
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France and Britain called Thursday for the Syrian regime and its allies to end their “disastrous” siege on the city of Aleppo, saying Russian Federation in particular has a unique ability to persuade the regime of Bashar Assad to end the war.
After meeting at an EU Foreign Affairs Council in Brussels earlier in July – Mr Johnson’s first summit since taking up the post – Mr Ayrault said his British counterpart had arrived with “some humility”.
Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson was in France on Thursday, and spoke (in French) about how the United Kingdom will be “as close as possible” to France post-Brexit vote.
The consequences of the siege, “including the bombardment of civilians and medical facilities, are already disastrous and could generate further refugees”, the statement said, according to Agence France Presse.
Johnson has had a fairly torrid time of it since he took on the foreign office brief, first hounded by the press during a conference with U.S. secretary of state John Kerry for being a liar. We will continue to do so.
During his Brexit campaign, Johnson said the European Union was “thought up by high-minded French bureaucrats” and in praising Britain’s manufacturing capabilities said “we export “French knickers” to France”.
“The ministers solemnly called upon the Syrian regime’s allies to bring an immediate end to these operations, which violate the truce agreed in Munich and worldwide law”, the pair said in a joint statement.
“We must defend our democracies, our principles, and that is not incompatible with the security of our citizens”, he said. He later said he had a “warm” two-hour working lunch with Ayrault before their media appearance.
He said: ” Dejeuner de travail chaleureux ac @jeanmarcayrault sur notre cooperation de defense et lutte c/ le terrorisme #daesh #Syrie #Libye.
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He also updated his French counterpart on Britain’s support for Nig eria and its neighbours in west Africa in their fight against fundamentalist group Boko Haram, including training and advice for Nigerian armed forces and £32 million over the next three years in humanitarian aid.
