Macron tells Johnson to ‘respect rules of the game’ at meeting over fishing licenses dispute – media — RT World News
The media reported that the French President Emmanuel Macron met with Boris Johnson, UK Prime Minister. They agreed to ease tensions around fishing licences. Macron reportedly told Johnson to “respect” the rules of the EU-UK trade deal.
Leaders agreed to a “de-escalation”In the “coming days,”BFM TV was informed by a French president official that Macron and Johnson had been in closed-door negotiations on the sidelines at the G20 conference in Rome.
Macron wanted his UK counterpart to hear a message from him. “seriousness and respect for a great partner of France,”The official stated.
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“We expect that [the UK] respects the rules of the game and its signature” on the 2020 UK-EU trade deal,”The source was updated. “Even if Boris Johnson still tries to make it a Franco-British issue, these are post-Brexit matters that are resolved between the EU and the UK.”
Striking a different tone, Johnson’s spokesperson, Max Blain, told reporters that Paris must stop threatening the UK with sanctions. “It will be for the French to decide whether they want to step away from the threats they’ve made in recent days,”He said.“We would welcome that, if they want to de-escalate the threats they’ve made,” Blain stressed.
France accuses the UK of breaking the post-Brexit Trade Agreement by refusing licenses to dozens of French vessels that can continue fishing in British waters.
Paris threatened to impose economic sanctions on UK cargoes and goods, if the dispute was not resolved by November 2. French authorities seize a British scallop-trawler that was being operated without a licence off France’s northern coast. This escalated the situation.
Macron appeared to downplay tensions around fisheries in a Saturday interview published by the Financial Times, but warned that the UK’s international credibility was at risk during conflict.
UK’s government denied wrongdoing, and stated that it was open to considering launching proceedings in dispute against French sanctions. Johnson, speaking with Ursula von der Leyen (President of the European Commission), said that French threats are unacceptable. “completely unjustified”And “did not appear to be compatible”With the international trade agreement and other relevant laws.
According to the PM, “the UK has granted 98% of license applications from EU vessels to fish in the UK’s waters and is happy to consider any further evidence for the remaining 2%.”
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