Paris
Britain’s Brexit minister was to hold talks in the French capital Thursday on the fishing rights crisis that has further strained already tense relations between London and Paris.
The meeting comes a day after a French court released a British trawler impounded for a week in the dispute, amid signs from both sides of renewed interest in a negotiated solution to stave off a trade war.
Brexit minister David Frost will sit down with French Europe Minister Clement Beaune.
A close ally of President Emmanuel Macron, Beaune is vocal in his belief that France should not pay for what he sees as Britain’s mistake of leaving the EU.
Their meeting is set to be held behind closed doors and no press conference is planned, although Beaune’s office has promised a telephone briefing afterwards.
“We are looking forward to a good discussion with our French colleagues,” Frost told ITV news before boarding his train to Paris.
“We will see where that takes us. We are always hopeful of making progress but we will see where we get to.”
French government spokesman Gabriel Attal said there would also be a European Commission meeting on the issue during a visit by Frost on Friday, but this is yet to be confirmed by Brussels.—APP
