Readouts of Prime Minister’s bilateral meetings at the G7 Summit

Prime Minister Boris Johnson held several bilateral meetings this morning at the G7 Summit.

Meeting between the Prime Minister and President Macron

A Downing Street spokesperson said:

“The Prime Minister met French President Emmanuel Macron at the G7 Summit in Cornwall today.

“The leaders looked forward to deepening the bilateral relationship between the UK and France, through more cultural, economic and security cooperation.

“They covered the issue of migration across the English Channel. Here they agreed that criminal gangs are putting profits before people’s lives through dangerous and unnecessary crossings. They discussed the need for our two countries work together to find ways to break the operating model of these people-smuggling networks and save lives.

“The Prime Minister expressed confidence in the UK’s position in the Northern Ireland Protocol. He made clear his desire for pragmatism and compromise on all sides but underlined that protecting the Belfast (Good Friday) Agreement in all its dimensions was paramount.”

Meeting between the Prime Minister and Chancellor Merkel

A Downing Street spokesperson said:

“The Prime Minister met German Chancellor Angela Merkel at the G7 Summit in Cornwall today.

“They agreed on the importance of the UK and Germany working together bilaterally to strengthen trade, security and the links between our people.

“They also discussed a number of foreign policy issues including China and Russia’s destabilising activity.

“Both leaders agreed that the G7 Summit provides an important opportunity to intensify shared work to tackle the current pandemic, including by increasing global vaccine supply.

“The Prime Minister underlined the UK’s position on the Northern Ireland protocol and the need to maintain both the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the UK.”

Meeting between the Prime Minister, the European Commission President and European Council President

A Downing Street spokesperson said:

“The Prime Minister met European Commission President, Ursula von der Leyen, and European Council President, Charles Michel, at the G7 Summit in Cornwall today.

“The Prime Minister welcomed them to the Summit and stressed the important role the EU can play in tackling global challenges.

“They discussed the ongoing issues with the implementation of the Northern Ireland Protocol. The Prime Minister made it clear that the UK is committed to finding practical solutions within the framework of the Protocol which protect the aims of the Belfast (Good Friday) Agreement and minimise the impact on the day to day lives of people in Northern Ireland.

“They agreed on the need for continued meaningful engagement to resolve the outstanding issues.”