MACRON TO UK: LET'S BE FRIENDS AGAIN

» HE WANTS TO RESET RELATIONS AFTER BREXIT AHEAD OF VISIT BY KING AND PM

- Nicholas Cecil

EMMANUEL MACRON is to stretch out the hand of friendship to Britain after years of Brexit bust-ups soured cross-Channel ties.

The French president is aiming to inject a “new dynamic” into the Entente Cordiale — 119 years after its signing between the two nations — when he meets Rishi Sunak for a Franco-British summit in Paris on Friday.

The two leaders were expected to agree new measures to tackle the “small boats” crisis, boost defence co-operation, announce investment deals and seek to restore social ties between Britain and France including on more school trips after the tensions sparked by Brexit.

“This summit is a very important step in all this recovery process in our relationship with the UK,” said an Elysée Palace source. “It’s a moment when we demonstrate ambition, determination and a real openness to do more together.

“If I was to quote a certain movie I would say it can be the beginning of a beautiful renewed friendship, which is very much the mindset in Paris,” he added, referring to Humphrey Bogart’s famous line in Casablanca.