The United Kingdom (UK) and France signed a new maritime security treaty on Monday to enhance cooperation and protect passengers travelling along the English Channel. The document was finalised during the 2+2 bilateral consultations between the British Foreign and Defence Secretaries Dominic Raab and Ben Wallace and their French counterparts Jean Yves Le Drian and Florence Parly in Paris. The treaty will come into effect following its formal ratification by both France and the UK.
The British Foreign Office stated that, as a result of the deal, “UK emergency responders will have more power to deal with terrorist incidents in the Channel.” It will also allow “seamless joint and coordinated action” between the two countries’ security forces. The statement clarified that the treaty only intends on deterring high threat security incidents on ferries and large vessels in the Channel and not illegal migration.
According to the release, the treaty includes provisions that will allow the two countries to collaborate through four mechanisms. First, it will allow them to “share security information concerning potential security threats.” Second, the two countries’ forces will be enabled to “mount swifter and stronger initial responses to serious security incidents.” Third, the troops will be able to “coordinate more efficient joint responses.” Fourth, the treaty provision will pave the way for the forces to “cooperate more efficiently in the aftermath of an attack or incident.”
Celebrating the treaty, Foreign Secretary Raab said the document “will reinforce our ability to jointly respond swiftly and effectively to terrorist threats in the Channel.” Home Secretary Priti Patel echoed these sentiments, saying, “ The intelligence and security tools this new cooperation provides will give law enforcement and our emergency responders the additional support they need to protect us all. In an uncertain world, we must continue to work effectively with international partners to prevent and disable serious security threats.”
A joint statement released following the discussions mentioned that the leaders “identified the core areas of our cooperation for the coming years.” The issues included cybersecurity, the Indo-Pacific, and combatting terrorism in Africa and the Levant. The press release added that this resulted from the French strategic review and the British Integrated Review conducted separately earlier this year. Moreover, the British press release stated that the leaders discussed the security threats posed by China, Russia, and Iran, along with concerns in Afghanistan and the Indo-Pacific. They also spoke of the need to collaborate on COVID-19, including a uniform travel and vaccine export policy.
Since its departure from the European Union, the UK has been looking to secure new security cooperation deals with its allies in the bloc. For instance, earlier in July, Raab met German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas and signed a Joint Declaration “to provide responsible leadership on foreign policy issues,” including the Indo-Pacific, China, and the Western Balkans. Like the deal with France, this document also featured references to China, Russia, and Afghanistan. Both Germany and France are critical trading partners of the UK, and the countries also collaborate through several multilateral engagements in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), the G7, and the United Nations.
UK, France Sign Post-Brexit Security Treaty
The UK and France signed a security treaty that will allow them to exchange information on potential security threats, initiate joint responses, and enhance interoperability.
July 27, 2021
SOURCE: AFP