LONDON (AP) — Britain will pay tens of millions of pounds (dollars) toward border security in France and support French military missions as part of moves to bind the countries closer together after Brexit.

U.K. Prime Minister Theresa May is meeting French President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday in a bilateral summit intended to strengthen security and intelligence ties between the neighboring nations, and to build goodwill as Britain negotiates its EU exit.

Britain wants the meeting, at the Sandhurst military academy near London, to signal that the relationship won’t be weakened once the U.K. leaves the European Union in 2019.

So May is offering funds to ease French annoyance over a 2003 deal that placed British border controls in Calais, on the French side of the English Channel. The town has become a magnet for migrants hoping to reach Britain, and the accord puts the burden of blocking their entry to the U.K. on France.

Britain is agreeing to pay 44.5 million pounds ($62 million) for security cameras and other measures in Calais and nearby English Channel ports. France also wants Britain to take in more migrants from Calais, especially unaccompanied children.

The U.K. also says it will send three Royal Air Force Chinook helicopters and dozens of personnel to join France’s military mission against Islamic militants in Africa’s Sahel region. France has led efforts to fight al-Qaida and IS-linked jihadi groups in the vast region south of the Sahara desert.

The leaders of the five main U.K. and French spy agencies are also meeting for the first time Thursday, as the two countries seek to increase intelligence-sharing. France and Britain have both faced a string of violent attacks by extremists inspired or directed by the Islamic State group.

May said the U.K.-French summit “will underline that we remain committed to defending our people and upholding our values as liberal democracies in the face of any threat, whether at home or abroad.”

In a boost to Macron, Britain is throwing its backing behind the European Intervention Initiative, a multinational European military force that the French president has proposed. He also wants a common European defense budget and security doctrine.

The plan is in its early stages, but British officials don’t see it as an “EU army,” an idea on which the U.K. has long been cool.

In return, France will send troops to join a U.K.-led NATO battle group in Estonia in 2019, aimed at countering an increasingly assertive Russia.

Macron, on his first visit to the U.K. since winning the presidency in May 2017, also bears news that France will loan Britain the Bayeux Tapestry, an 11th-century panorama depicting the Norman conquest of England.

The medieval masterpiece depicts a key moment in British history – one with particular resonance as Britain prepares to leave the EU.

Many in Britain welcomed news of the loan, but the country’s euroskeptic tabloids weren’t impressed. “Le Stitch-up,” said the Daily Mail, depicting the tapestry as a poor exchange for the more than 44 million pounds Britain has agreed to hand over.</s>Boris Johnson was involved in more diplomatic intrigue last night over claims that he had snubbed his French counterpart.

Sources say the Foreign Secretary pulled out of a scheduled meeting in Paris with French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian after Mr Le Drian called off lunch.

The pair had been expected to meet in the run-up to Theresa May’s Sandhurst summit with President Emmanuel Macron and then break for lunch.

But The Mail on Sunday has been told that on learning that Mr Le Drian was ‘too busy’ to include lunch in the talks, Mr Johnson abandoned his trip to France altogether.

Sources say the Foreign Secretary (right) pulled out of a scheduled meeting in Paris with French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian (centre) after Mr Le Drian called off lunch. They are pictured at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst in Camberley, on Thursday

Last night, sources close to Mr Johnson claimed his plans to meet earlier this month were changed ‘due to both Ministers’ busy diaries’ .

Mr Johnson and Mr Le Drian instead spoke to each other by phone ahead of the summit.</s>Britain's financial sector won’t get full access to the single market unless the UK pays billions to Brussels and follows EU laws forever, Emmanuel Macron has said.

At a joint Press conference with Theresa May, the French President spoke warmly about relations between Britain and France, saying they were ‘making a new tapestry together’.

But he adopted a tough line on Brexit, suggesting the UK will be offered only a limited trade deal unless it agrees to be bound by the rules of the single market – which Mrs May has already ruled out.

He said Britain could ‘be my guest’ if it wanted to retain full access to the single market, but warned it would come with onerous conditions. ‘I am here neither to punish or to reward,’ he said. ‘I want to make sure that the single market is preserved because that is very much the heart of the European Union.

‘So the choice is on the British side, not on my side. There can be no differentiated access to the financial services. If you want access to the single market, including the financial services, be my guest, but it means that you need to contribute to the budget and acknowledge the European jurisdiction. Such are the rules.’

Government sources last night played down the significance of the intervention saying it was ‘par for the course’ ahead of the start of formal trade negotiations.

One source suggested Mr Macron had been ‘slightly more helpful than usual’ by indicating France would not try to block any sector, including financial services, from a Brexit trade deal.

The Prime Minister insisted the strength of the City of London benefited both sides in the Brexit talks and repeated her call for a new ‘deep and special partnership’ between Britain and the EU.

But former Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith accused President Macron of ‘grandstanding’. He said French industry and agriculture would suffer more than their British counterparts if there was no post-Brexit trade deal.

And he contrasted Mr Macron’s bullish language with Britain’s willingness to pay another £45million towards security at joint border controls in Calais – and the offer of three helicopters to assist a French mission against jihadis in Africa.

Mr Duncan Smith said: ‘He wants us to co-operate on security and defence and we are decent about that. What we get in return is this stupid game of him strutting his stuff and pretending that we need a trade deal more than he does.

‘They seem to think they can dictate to us, but they can’t – we are leaving. They sell more to us than we do to them and the potential tariffs on wines and cheeses would be very high. It is just bravado.’

Mr Macron’s comments chime with the position already set out by Brussels. He also insisted a bespoke deal was not on offer. The UK would have to choose between a Norway-style arrangement that would keep Britain shackled to the single market, or a Canada-style deal with only limited market access.

He said: ‘There shall be no hypocrisy in this respect otherwise it will not work or we would destroy the single market and its coherence.’ France’s wider relationship with the UK would not be knocked off course by Brexit, he insisted.

Mrs May said she was continuing to seek a bespoke deal for Britain.

‘We recognise that as we leave the EU we will no longer be full members of the single market,’ she added. ‘There will be a different relationship in future, a different balance of rights and responsibilities.

'But I believe that it is actually in the interest not only of the UK, but also the EU as it goes forward, to continue to have a good economic relationship and partnership with the UK and I believe that should cover both goods and services. I think the City of London will continue to be a major global financial centre.’

Earlier today, the Prime Minister revealed the five heads of the UK and French security services held a joint briefing for both delegations.

And she said a joint British-French expeditionary force would be able to deploy 10,000 troops at short notice and to confront any threat by 2020.

The military cooperation is intended to be a clear signal of continued close ties between the UK and France after Brexit.

The summit has seen an historic offer to return the Bayeux Tapestry to Britain for the first time in 900 years.

Earlier, the leaders kicked off formal talks at Sandhurst military academy this afternoon after enjoying lunch at the Royal Oak pub in the PM's Maidenhead constituency.

On Brexit, Mr Macron said: 'I very much respect the decision made, the choice made by the British people even though I regret it.'

But he said the Brexit negotiations would not damage the relationship between the UK and France although it will 'bring about some uncertainty in the short term'.

'Brexit will never prevent a very high level of co-operation between our two countries,' he said.

Mr Macron said 'our history and our geography cannot be impacted by changes in the institutions'.

He added: 'We are facing common challenges and we are sharing the same destiny.'

Mrs May said both she and Mr Macron remained committed to the Le Touquet agreement, which allows the UK and France to post border officials on one another's soil.

And she confirmed the UK will contribute to reinforcing security measures, including CCTV and fencing, at French ports such as Calais.

The further investment would make the UK's borders 'even more secure', she said.

Mrs May said that the UK and France were 'Europe's two foremost military powers' and it was 'incumbent on us to demonstrate leadership in meeting the great challenges of our time and upholding the international rules-based system'.

She said the UK-France combined joint expeditionary force would be ready to deploy up to 10,000 troops 'quickly and effectively to face any threat' by 2020.

'Together we will continue to play a full role to improve the security of the continent,' she said.

Mrs May said the UK-France trade relationship 'continues to thrive following the vote to leave the EU'.

She said Airbus, which has plants in both France and the UK, had signed a 'multi-billion pound deal to provide Emirates Airlines with 36 A380 passenger aircraft'.

Parts for those planes would be built in both countries 'providing a boost to both our economies'.

Mrs May confirmed the UK had agreed to step up support for French operations against Islamist terror groups in the Sahel region of northern France.

Three UK Chinook helicopters and their crews will be deployed to the area and Britain will continue to provide heavy-lift aircraft.

France will commit troops to a UK-led battle group deterring Russian aggression in Estonia, she said.

The French president was thought to be demanding more money to boost the Calais economy - despite Britain already bowing to requests for a £45million contribution to stop migrants sneaking across the Channel.

They could also have difficult exchanges over Brexit, amid fears Mr Macron will block an early agreement on a transition deal in a bid to exploit business anxiety and poach jobs.

The flashpoints risk overshadowing the summit, which both leaders hope will underline the commitment to close cooperation between the countries.

Mr Macron and Mrs May were served dressed crab followed by duck breast at the Michelin starred pub, with the meals prepared by last year's Masterchef: The Professionals winner Craig Johnson.

A military band struck up French national anthem La Marseillaise as they arrived at Sandhurst later.

Under the Le Touquet deal signed in 2003, border controls were located on the French side of the Channel in a bid to get rid of migrant camps like 'The Jungle'.

Mr Macron posted a video on his Twitter account of him walking into the pub with Mrs May, shaking hands with her team and chatting to staff.

Chef Craig Johnson won the prestigious BBC show last year. Dishes on the menu include Roast Partridge, Foie Gras and Leg Bon-Bon, Celeriac Purée and Savoy Cabbage for £27.

The leaders were served Dressed Crab Blood Orange, Radicchio & Sorrel as a starter.

The main was Carver Duck Breast, Roasted Onion Tartlet, and Beetroot Purée.

They had French wines to accompany the meals - a Riesling for the crab, and a 2013 Domaine Grand Romane for the duck.

Rain started pouring down just as the two leaders arrived at the Royal Military Academy later.

Undeterred they carried out their inspection of the guard of honour from the Coldstream Guards - only for the rain to stop just as they were finishing.

Senior ministers Boris Johnson, Philip Hammond and Amber Rudd also endured a soaking as they looked on.

Critics claim the Prime Minister has been forced to stump up even more money for the defences after French threats to tear up the border agreement.

UK taxpayers will foot the bill for extra measures to target stowaways using cross-Channel lorries, trains and ferries.

In what is being seen as a sweetener to ease the deal, the French have offered Britain the loan of the Bayeux Tapestry.

But even that prospect is in doubt after the mayor of the Normandy town where the artwork is currently on display imposed a series of conditions.

He suggested that he might oppose the loan, or ask Britain to cover the cost of restoring the 11th century tapestry.

Mr Macron has vowed to stop Calais being a 'back door to Britain' – as long the UK stumps up more cash.

The £45million will pay for security fencing, carbon dioxide detectors, heartbeat monitors and scanners to find stowaways.

Britain has already spent around £167million over the past four years on security at Calais and other ports along the Channel. Under 'juxtaposed controls', the UK's border is effectively on French soil.

But according to The Times, Mr Macron is also seeking wider funds to boost the economy of Calais, saying it has been hit by the migrant issues. Mrs May is said to be resisting the pressure.

The UK ambassador to France Ed Llewellyn did not deny the tensions this morning, but suggested the financial package would only cover security.

'Obviously the most important thing about the economy for Calais is that the migrant camps remain under control,' he told BBC Radio 4's Today programme.

Government officials have dismissed the idea of handing over such funding as 'politically unsaleable'.

Official figures in 2015 showed that one migrant was caught trying to sneak into the UK every six minutes, 84,000 in all.

That fell to 30,000 last year – a mark of the success of additional security, said the Home Office.

Charlie Elphicke, Tory MP for Dover, said: 'People will rightly ask why we are handing yet more money to France.

'That's now nearly £170million we've paid over the last few years. It is time we put the UK border first and invested in the Dover front line.'

Christopher Chope, a Conservative member of the Commons home affairs committee, said: 'We keep handing over money for security and France keeps coming back for more. Enough is enough.

'They keep holding us to ransom. It has been suggested that this is a price we need to pay for a trade deal with the EU but it certainly raises a lot of questions.'

Former Cabinet minister John Redwood also said it was an 'unfortunate truth' that the Bayeux Tapestry showed England being invaded.

'Mr Macron comes with a rare gift-a loan the Bayeux tapestry to the UK. While I'm sure the offer is well meant, I will pass over the unfortunate truth that it depicts an invading French army killing England's King & many in his army before taking over the govt of our kingdom,' he tweeted.

Some French politicians have called for the border deal to be scrapped in the wake of Brexit, potentially allowing thousands of migrants to reach the shores of Kent.

A Government spokesman said: 'This is about investing in and enhancing the security of the UK border.

'Just as we invest in our borders around the rest of the UK, it is only right that we constantly monitor whether there is more we can be doing at the UK border controls in France and Belgium to ensure they are as secure as possible.'

Funding will also help relocate migrants away from Channel ports to prevent the build-up of another 'Jungle' refugee camp.

In 2015, Britain gave £12million to the French to enhance security measures, including a 9ft fence. Huge stretches were erected on the approaches to both the Eurotunnel terminal and the ferry port.

A year later the Government handed over another £17million, including £1.9million for the 'Great Wall of Calais' around the port. Another £36million was announced a few months later.

Mrs May hopes to get a two-year transition deal signed off at an EU summit in March so negotiations can swiftly move on to a future trade deal.

But Paris is said to be maneuvering behind the scenes to 'keep the pressure on the Brits' as it wants to swoop in and lure businesses away to Paris.

It comes as Emmanuel Macron travels to Sandhurst today to hold talks with Mrs May in his first official trip as since moving into the Elysee Palace.

The French President has openly said he wants to use Britain's looming departure from the bloc to lure lucrative financial services away from London.

Britain's former ambassador to France, Lord Ricketts, said last night: 'When it comes to French interests, economic interest, in the Brexit negotiations he will be hard headed and he will push for a tough outcome.'

He added: 'Of course, where there's an opportunity of draining jobs from the UK and into France, they will be taking it.'

Mrs May will use today's summit to announce greater cross-security co-operation.

She said: 'Our friendship has always gone far beyond defence and security and the scope of today's discussions represents its broad and unique nature. While this summit takes place the UK prepares to leave the EU, this does not mean that the UK is leaving Europe.'

Yesterday France's president offered to lend the priceless work to Britain in a gesture Theresa May hailed as 'very significant'.

But it seemed nobody asked the mayor of Bayeux – who has said 'non' unless 'certain conditions' are met.

Officials insisted the masterpiece would not cross the Channel before 2023, that it would stay only a matter of months, and that it would happen in winter when fewer tourists visit Bayeux.

In a statement by the Bayeux Museum, where the 11th-century tapestry is on permanent display, mayor Patrick Gomont said: 'The most important thing is the conservation of the work. The town, the services of the state, are open to the loan but on certain conditions.'

Mr Gomont also hinted that the UK should contribute to its upkeep, telling a press conference: 'The tapestry was weaved in England, it would be incredible for it to be restored in the land where it was created.'

The mayor said he was speaking about the plans in the 'conditional tense' and that there were still lots of 'hypotheses' that need to be answered.

Asked if the town of Bayeux could block the move to lend the work, he said: 'We can oppose it.'

Mr Gomont added in an interview with local media: 'Our British friends really want it, we are not opposed but all of the conditions still need to be defined.'

But French historian Eric Anceau tweeted about the tapestry yesterday: 'Aside from its great fragility, it is all very regrettable after Brexit.

'On the contrary, shouldn't the British be incentivised to cross the Channel?'

Although French president Emmanuel Macron's office said the tapestry could be moved in 2020, Bayeux yesterday said the earliest date would in fact be 2023.

Under an agreement signed last year, the town of Bayeux and the region of Normandy are responsible for the tapestry's upkeep and restoration – not France's central government – and they have the right to block the move.

A poll by local website Ouest-France Bayeux yesterday on Facebook showed that 85 per cent were against the tapestry moving to Britain.

The British Museum, in central London, is regarded as the favourite to host the masterpiece if it comes to Britain. Mrs May will discuss the loan when she meets the French president today.

Details also emerged yesterday of the complex operation in moving the artwork.

French historian Pierre Bouet, who helped to move the fragile tapestry last January, told website Ouest-France: 'There were around 60 of us and we slid it along a stand centimetre by centimetre. It's an extremely delicate operation.'

Alexandra Makin, who specialises in early medieval embroidery, said: 'You can move it if it's got specially constructed containers, and curators on both sides of the Channel will be looking to see if it's viable to do that.'

A spokesman for Mr Macron's office said: 'This loan is under consideration, because there will be several months of restoration work at the Museum of Bayeux.'

Antoine Verney, director of the Bayeux Museum, insisted 'nothing is set in stone' and that the feasibility of the loan would be explored in the coming years.

Sacré bleu! Macron confuses Michael Parkinson's Michelin star pub with less upmarket Greene King establishment 12 miles away (but it does offer a two-course senior deal for £4.99)

The politician was in Britain to meet Prime Minister Theresa May ahead of the start of the UK-France summit.

They were due to meet in the gastro Royal Oak in Mrs May's Maidenhead constituency on Thursday.

But he confused the pub, owned by Sir Michael Parkinson and his son, for a Greene King venue in nearby town of Yateley in Hampshire.

He tagged the 'Royal Oak' online and tweeted: 'From Rodez to Yateley, these young French people are living the partnership between our two countries.'

It seems he got mixed up with a pub of the same name in Yateley which is advertising a 'senior deal' where two courses can be bought for just £4.99.

Pensioners can pay just £1 just make their meal three courses.

However, the Maidenhead pub charges £36 for their 8oz Berkshire fillet steak which comes with mushrooms, spinach, chips and sauce bearnaise.

The pub, on Paley Street, boasts 'non-intrusive service' and 'British food cooked to perfection', was the venue of choice for the leaders.

The pub's chef Craig Johnston, who was branded a 'local hero' after he was revealed as the winner of BBC's Masterchef: The Professionals at the end of last year, prepared lunch for the pair.

They dined on a menu of dressed crab, blood orange radicchio and sorrel followed by carver duck breast, roasted onion tartlet and beetroot puree.

A series of videos tweeted by Mr Macron show him meeting members of staff, including one from the French town of Rodez.

Sir Michael and his son Nick Parkinson opened The Royal Oak in July 2001.

The pub went on to gain a Bib Gourmand in 2008 and a Michelin star in 2010, which it still holds along with three AA Rosettes.

The Royal Oak states: 'Our food is not designed not to be pretentious, but rather to embrace the flavours of the produce and not disguise them with unfamiliar ingredients and complicated cooking methods.'

It adds: 'We defy you not to scrape the plate.'

Guests are able to arrive by helicopter, landing in a field behind the pub, while a sign outside the venue states 'Ferrari parking only' and warns all other vehicles will be towed.

The interior of the restaurant is 'elegant, stylish and nostalgic' while service is described as 'friendly, efficient and non-intrusive', offering a laid back setting for the encounter between Mrs May and Mr Macron.

'There's no standing on ceremony, we want you to relax and enjoy your visit to the Oak so you feel at home and keep coming back for more,' the Royal Oak website states.

A stitch in... four years' time! Theresa May reveals The Bayeux Tapestry will not be back on British soil until 2022

The Bayeux Tapestry will be returned to British soil for the first time in 950 years — but not until 2022.

But Mr Macron said the tapestry - which depicts the Norman Conquest of England - will not be transferred before 2020.

It is currently on permanent display at a museum in the town of Bayeux, in Normandy and has rarely been moved.

The French president is expected to announce a proposed loan of the tapestry during a meeting with Theresa May this week.

The agreement will depend on the outcome of testing to ensure the 11th Century Artwork is safe to move.

It follows 'months of talks between culture department officials in London and Paris', according to The Times.

However it has not yet been decided where in the UK the artwork will be displayed.

The origins of the Bayeux Tapestry, which is 230ft (70m) long and around 20in (50cm) high, have long been debated by historians.

Very little is known as to how or why it was created, but the artwork's earliest reference came in the form of an inventory from Bayeux Cathedral in 1476.

Reading Museum, which displayes a replica of the artwork, says it the tapestry was 'probably commissioned' in the 1070s by the half-brother of William the Conqueror.

It is also said that it was created by teams of nuns from across England and not France.

The astonishing work features the events leading up to the Norman takeover of England — starting with Edward the Confessor, who became king in 1042.

His brother-in-law, Harold, was crowned King in 1066.

The famous arrow-in-the-eye scene apparently depicting the death of Harold at Hastings in 1066 is believed to have been added in Victorian times.

Two previous attempts to see the tapestry brought to Britain have failed, raising questions over whether it will ever make it across the English Channel.

The failed efforts to bring it over were during the Queen's coronation in 1953 and to mark the 900th anniversary of the Battle of Hastings in 1966.

On Tuesday, an official in Mr Macron's office said the loan is still 'under consideration', with the tapestry not travelling before 2020 because of required restoration work.

The official said: 'This loan is under consideration, because there will be several months of restoration work at the Museum of Bayeux.

'It will not be before 2020 because it is an extremely fragile cultural treasure which will be subject to major restoration work before being transported anywhere.'

Dr Levi Roach, medieval historian at the University of Exeter, said it would take time for conservationists to ensure the work could be moved and displayed safely.

He told MailOnline: 'I suspect one of the things that's being raised now, beyond its iconic status, is the issue of preservation and whether this can be moved safely.

'It's not going to be something that you'll want to completely roll up, so there'll need to be a great deal of care in how it will be packaged, so as not to damage the fabric.'

Dr Roach added: 'This has not been moved since 1944, and we're increasingly aware of the damage that can be done to such artefacts.'

He said the temperature, light exposure and air humidity for its transport and display would be investigated before the tapestry can be moved.

Bexhill and Battle MP Huw Merriman said Battle Abbey would be an appropriate location for the tapestry to be displayed, on the site where the 1066 clash took place.

Home Secretary Amber Rudd also suggested her Hastings and Rye constituency should be in contention for the honour.

But Mrs May said: 'I am sure we will be looking very carefully to ensure that the maximum number of people can take the benefit of seeing this tapestry.'

Returning the 230ft-long tapestry to the UK could allow British historians to finally study the back of the work.

Dr Makin said: 'You can actually see the 19th century restoration work because it's not nearly as neat as the original work.

'You can see the embroiderers were not looking at it as a design - they were looking at it as an area that had to be completed, so the threads are carried over from one motif to the next.'

Dr Makin thinks the famous arrow-in-the-eye scene could have been a 19th-century invention because there are tiny needle holes stretching from beyond the arrow design.

'The original thread might have continued on to perhaps create a lance or something,' she said.

Historians believe that the tapestry was the work of professional female embroiderers, probably of Anglo-Saxon origin, in the Canterbury area.

'Their work was very well thought of and very well known. They were commissioned by Norman aristocrats to make things for them,' Dr Makin said.

'That's not to say that they weren't embroidering on the continent, but in the case of the Bayeux Tapestry, that was probably made by Anglo-Saxon workers who would have been female.'

Speaking on Good Morning Britain, scholar Maggie Kneen said until now, experts have only been provided with footage and photographs of the back of the piece.

She said: 'When you get to know it as I have been able to do you realise what a treasure house of information it is about what was going on at the time.

'It was made in Canterbury, it's more or less been proven by art historical means - it's such a marvellous piece of news. It's just going to be so important for children to learn from it.'

Although called a tapestry, it is an embroidery stitched in nine different panels.

Earlier today, the Prime Minister revealed the five heads of the UK and French security services held a joint briefing for both delegations.

And she said a joint British-French expeditionary force would be able to deploy 10,000 troops at short notice and to confront any threat by 2020.

The military cooperation is intended to be a clear signal of continued close ties between the UK and France after Brexit.

Earlier today, the Prime Minister revealed the five heads of the UK and French security services held a joint briefing for both delegations.

And she said a joint British-French expeditionary force would be able to deploy 10,000 troops at short notice and to confront any threat by 2020.

The military cooperation is intended to be a clear signal of continued close ties between the UK and France after Brexit.</s>LONDON (AP) — Britain will pay tens of millions of pounds (dollars) toward border security in France and support French military missions as part of moves to bind the countries closer together after Brexit.

U.K. Prime Minister Theresa May is meeting French President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday in a bilateral summit intended to strengthen security and intelligence ties between the neighboring nations.

Britain wants the meeting, at the Sandhurst military academy near London, to signal that the relationship won't be weakened once the U.K. leaves the European Union in 2019.

So May is offering funds to ease French annoyance over a 2003 deal that placed British border controls in Calais, on the French side of the English Channel. The town has become a magnet for migrants hoping to reach Britain, and the accord puts the burden of blocking their entry to the U.K. on France.

Britain is agreeing to pay 44.5 million pounds ($62 million) for security cameras and other measures in Calais and nearby English Channel ports. France also wants Britain to take in more migrants from Calais.

The U.K. also says it will send three Royal Air Force Chinook helicopters and dozens of personnel to join France's military mission against Islamic militants in Africa's Sahel region. France has led efforts to fight al-Qaida and IS-linked jihadi groups in the vast region south of the Sahara desert.

The leaders of the five main U.K. and French spy agencies are also meeting for the first time Thursday, as the two countries seek to increase intelligence-sharing. France and Britain have both faced a string of violent attacks by extremists inspired or directed by the Islamic State group.

May said the U.K.-French summit "will underline that we remain committed to defending our people and upholding our values as liberal democracies in the face of any threat, whether at home or abroad."

In a boost to Macron, Britain is throwing its backing behind the European Intervention Initiative, a multinational European military force that the French president has proposed. He also wants a common European defense budget and security doctrine.

The plan is in its early stages, but British officials don't see it as an "EU army," an idea on which the U.K. has long been cool.

In return, France will send troops to join a U.K.-led NATO battle group in Estonia in 2019, aimed at countering an increasingly assertive Russia.

Macron, on his first visit to Britain since winning the presidency in May 2017, also bears news that France will loan Britain the Bayeux Tapestry, an 11th-century panorama depicting the Norman conquest of England.

The medieval masterpiece depicts a key moment in British history — one with particular resonance as Britain prepares to leave the EU.

Copyright 2017 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.</s>
• Boris Johnson floats the idea of building a huge bridge across the English Channel.
• But Theresa May says there are no plans to do so.
• An aide to the French president dismisses the idea.



 LONDON — Theresa May has slapped down Boris Johnson's calls for a 20 mile-long bridge across the English channel, with her spokesman saying the prime minister has no plans to build one.

Asked by Business Insider whether the government would consider the idea, a spokesman for the prime minister said that "I've not seen any plans on that,"

He later added that there were "no specific plans" in place to build the bridge.

The foreign secretary last night floated the prospect of building a new link to the continent following a meeting with French president Emmanuel Macron.

However the idea was immediately savaged by leading architects and shipping experts as impractical, with an aide to Macron also dismissing the idea.

"Building a huge concrete structure in the middle of the world’s busiest shipping lane might come with some challenges," the UK Chamber of Shipping tweeted.

"It’s [one of the] world's busiest shipping lanes. Is that not enough? It would be easier, and less expensive to just move France closer," Alan Dunlop, an architect and professor at the University of Liverpool, told the Times.

An aide to Macron told the Financial Times that the two countries would be better off relying on the existing tunnel under the Channel instead.

"Only 55 per cent of Channel tunnel capacity [is] used on average — so before building a bridge, let’s use the tunnel," they said.

Downing Street said they would instead be appointing a new panel of experts to look at possible infrastructure projects.

A spokesman told BI: "What was agreed yesterday and the foreign secretary tweeted about as well is a panel of experts will look at major projects together including infrastructure and we want to work very closely with our french colleagues at building a shared prosperous future."

Johnson has previously floated large infrastructure projects that subsequently failed to materialise. A plan to build an multi-billion pound airport in the Thames Estuary was dismissed by the government as unfeasible and too expensive.

Johnson's plans to build the so-called "garden bridge" in London, were dropped by his successor as London Mayor, Sadiq Khan, over concerns about its viability, leaving Londoners with a nearly £50 million bill.

Asked whether the PM has confidence in the foreign secretary's record of delivering infrastructure projects, they replied that: "Boris Johnson is foreign secretary and doing an excellent job."</s>LONDON (AP) - Britain will pay tens of millions of pounds (dollars) toward border security in France and support French military missions as part of moves to bind the countries closer together after Brexit.

U.K. Prime Minister Theresa May is meeting French President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday in a bilateral summit intended to strengthen security and intelligence ties between the neighboring nations, and to build goodwill as Britain negotiates its EU exit.

Britain wants the meeting, at the Sandhurst military academy near London, to signal that the relationship won’t be weakened once the U.K. leaves the European Union in 2019.

So May is offering funds to ease French annoyance over a 2003 deal that placed British border controls in Calais, on the French side of the English Channel. The town has become a magnet for migrants hoping to reach Britain, and the accord puts the burden of blocking their entry to the U.K. on France.

Britain is agreeing to pay 44.5 million pounds ($62 million) for security cameras and other measures in Calais and nearby English Channel ports. France also wants Britain to take in more migrants from Calais, especially unaccompanied children.

The U.K. also says it will send three Royal Air Force Chinook helicopters and dozens of personnel to join France’s military mission against Islamic militants in Africa’s Sahel region. France has led efforts to fight al-Qaida and IS-linked jihadi groups in the vast region south of the Sahara desert.

The leaders of the five main U.K. and French spy agencies are also meeting for the first time Thursday, as the two countries seek to increase intelligence-sharing. France and Britain have both faced a string of violent attacks by extremists inspired or directed by the Islamic State group.

May said the U.K.-French summit “will underline that we remain committed to defending our people and upholding our values as liberal democracies in the face of any threat, whether at home or abroad.”

In a boost to Macron, Britain is throwing its backing behind the European Intervention Initiative, a multinational European military force that the French president has proposed. He also wants a common European defense budget and security doctrine.

The plan is in its early stages, but British officials don’t see it as an “EU army,” an idea on which the U.K. has long been cool.

In return, France will send troops to join a U.K.-led NATO battle group in Estonia in 2019, aimed at countering an increasingly assertive Russia.

Macron, on his first visit to the U.K. since winning the presidency in May 2017, also bears news that France will loan Britain the Bayeux Tapestry, an 11th-century panorama depicting the Norman conquest of England.

The medieval masterpiece depicts a key moment in British history - one with particular resonance as Britain prepares to leave the EU.

Many in Britain welcomed news of the loan, but the country’s euroskeptic tabloids weren’t impressed. “Le Stitch-up,” said the Daily Mail, depicting the tapestry as a poor exchange for the more than 44 million pounds Britain has agreed to hand over.</s>British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson attends an official dinner at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London.

The British government has played down U.K. Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson's proposition of building a bridge from Britain to France.

Johnson said a 22-mile crossing to connect the U.K. and France should be built across the English Channel, according to several British media reports Friday.

A spokesperson for Prime Minister Theresa May was reported later to have said that there were no such plans. Speaking to CNBC, a spokesman said that plans for Johnson's bridge between the two countries had not been seen by the government, adding that the foreign secretary was referring to a panel overseeing major Anglo-French infrastructure projects.

Johnson, who has served as foreign secretary since May took power, apparently made the suggestion for a bridge across the Channel at the Sandhurst military academy in southern England on Thursday, during French President Emmanuel Macron's first official visit to the U.K.

The Daily Telegraph and Sky News reported that, when Johnson made the suggestion, Macron said: "I agree, let's do it."

According to the Telegraph, Johnson said that it was "ridiculous" the two countries were "linked by a single railway," the Eurostar.

The minister has previously supported the idea of building a road tunnel beneath the Channel, and was a big advocate for London's Garden Bridge — a failed £200 million ($278 million) project to build a bridge across the River Thames covered in trees and shrubbery — during his time as the capital's mayor.

Britain's departure from the European Union was high on the agenda during Macron's visit. U.K. Prime Minister Theresa May will offer France £44.5 million ($62 million) to improve border security in Calais and other ports along the Channel, while the leaders also signed a treaty to speed up the processing of migrants in the coastal French town applying for asylum.</s>LONDON (AP) - Britain will pay tens of millions of pounds (dollars) toward border security in France and support French military missions as part of moves to bind the countries closer together after Brexit.

U.K. Prime Minister Theresa May is meeting French President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday in a bilateral summit intended to strengthen security and intelligence ties between the neighboring nations.

Britain wants the meeting, at the Sandhurst military academy near London, to signal that the relationship won't be weakened once the U.K. leaves the European Union in 2019.

So May is offering funds to ease French annoyance over a 2003 deal that placed British border controls in Calais, on the French side of the English Channel. The town has become a magnet for migrants hoping to reach Britain, and the accord puts the burden of blocking their entry to the U.K. on France.

Britain is agreeing to pay 44.5 million pounds ($62 million) for security cameras and other measures in Calais and nearby English Channel ports. France also wants Britain to take in more migrants from Calais.

The U.K. also says it will send three Royal Air Force Chinook helicopters and dozens of personnel to join France's military mission against Islamic militants in Africa's Sahel region. France has led efforts to fight al-Qaida and IS-linked jihadi groups in the vast region south of the Sahara desert.

The leaders of the five main U.K. and French spy agencies are also meeting for the first time Thursday, as the two countries seek to increase intelligence-sharing. France and Britain have both faced a string of violent attacks by extremists inspired or directed by the Islamic State group.

May said the U.K.-French summit "will underline that we remain committed to defending our people and upholding our values as liberal democracies in the face of any threat, whether at home or abroad."

In a boost to Macron, Britain is throwing its backing behind the European Intervention Initiative, a multinational European military force that the French president has proposed. He also wants a common European defense budget and security doctrine.

The plan is in its early stages, but British officials don't see it as an "EU army," an idea on which the U.K. has long been cool.

In return, France will send troops to join a U.K.-led NATO battle group in Estonia in 2019, aimed at countering an increasingly assertive Russia.

Macron, on his first visit to Britain since winning the presidency in May 2017, also bears news that France will loan Britain the Bayeux Tapestry, an 11th-century panorama depicting the Norman conquest of England.

The medieval masterpiece depicts a key moment in British history - one with particular resonance as Britain prepares to leave the EU.</s>LONDON — Britain will pay tens of millions of pounds (dollars) toward border security in France and support French military missions as part of moves to bind the countries closer together after Brexit.

U.K. Prime Minister Theresa May is meeting French President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday in a bilateral summit intended to strengthen security and intelligence ties between the neighbouring nations.

Britain wants the meeting, at the Sandhurst military academy near London, to signal that the relationship won’t be weakened once the U.K. leaves the European Union in 2019.

So May is offering funds to ease French annoyance over a 2003 deal that placed British border controls in Calais, on the French side of the English Channel. The town has become a magnet for migrants hoping to reach Britain, and the accord puts the burden of blocking their entry to the U.K. on France.

Britain is agreeing to pay 44.5 million pounds ($62 million) for security cameras and other measures in Calais and nearby English Channel ports. France also wants Britain to take in more migrants from Calais.

The U.K. also says it will send three Royal Air Force Chinook helicopters and dozens of personnel to join France’s military mission against Islamic militants in Africa’s Sahel region. France has led efforts to fight al-Qaida and IS-linked jihadi groups in the vast region south of the Sahara desert.

The leaders of the five main U.K. and French spy agencies are also meeting for the first time Thursday, as the two countries seek to increase intelligence-sharing. France and Britain have both faced a string of violent attacks by extremists inspired or directed by the Islamic State group.

May said the U.K.-French summit “will underline that we remain committed to defending our people and upholding our values as liberal democracies in the face of any threat, whether at home or abroad.”

In a boost to Macron, Britain is throwing its backing behind the European Intervention Initiative, a multinational European military force that the French president has proposed. He also wants a common European defence budget and security doctrine.

The plan is in its early stages, but British officials don’t see it as an “EU army,” an idea on which the U.K. has long been cool.

In return, France will send troops to join a U.K.-led NATO battle group in Estonia in 2019, aimed at countering an increasingly assertive Russia.

Macron, on his first visit to Britain since winning the presidency in May 2017, also bears news that France will loan Britain the Bayeux Tapestry, an 11th-century panorama depicting the Norman conquest of England.

The medieval masterpiece depicts a key moment in British history — one with particular resonance as Britain prepares to leave the EU.</s>LONDON — As Britain prepares for its departure from the European Union, there has been ample discussion about the building of bridges as Britain finds its new place in the world.

And maybe that means building an actual bridge.

Britain’s flamboyant foreign secretary, Boris Johnson, sparked a debate about the possibility of a 22-mile bridge spanning the English Channel. Currently, the two countries are linked by an undersea rail tunnel known as the Channel Tunnel.

Johnson reportedly raised the idea of a Channel bridge with the French President Emmanuel Macron at an Anglo-French summit on Thursday.

Johnson tweeted a picture of himself and the French president, both giving a thumbs up, with the caption:

 “En marche! Great meetings with French counterparts today.”

He also said that a panel of experts had been set up to review “major projects.” He then asked: “Should the Channel Tunnel be just a first step?”

But France’s finance minister didn't foresee anyone bridging the Channel just yet.

“All ideas merit consideration, even the most far-fetched ones,” Bruno Le Maire told Europe 1 radio, according the Reuters news agency.

“We have major European infrastructure projects that are complicated to finance,” he said. “Let’s finish things that already under way before thinking of new ones.”

It wouldn’t be the longest sea bridge ever built — that honor goes to a 26-mile bridge in China that opened in 2011. But the U.K. Chamber of Shipping suggested that building a massive bridge in one of the world’s busiest shipping lanes could pose difficulties.

A spokesman for British Prime Minister Theresa May said all ideas for big-picture projects are welcome, but questioned whether Johnson's concept for the cross-channel bridge was anything more than just a dream. “I haven’t seen any plans on that,” the spokesman said.

Others pointed out that, technically, it’s possible. And building such a crossing has been considered before. In 1981, when Margaret Thatcher’s administration was mulling designs for the Channel Tunnel, plans for a three-lane suspension bridge were submitted to transport officials.

“It’s certainly possible,” said Ian Firth, the former president of the Institution of Structural Engineers.

He said that the biggest challenge would be the risk of ships colliding with the bridge, but added that it could be dealt with using technology including artificial intelligence, GPS and “significant vessel impact protection.” He said that such an endeavor would take eight or nine years.

Nigel Farage, the former leader of the nationalist U.K. Independence party, slammed the idea as dangerous and a waste of money.

But many also questioned the motivations for floating the idea. Perhaps it was meant as a distraction from Thursday’s summit where Macron rejected special post-Brexit access for Britain’s financial services unless Britain played by the existing E.U. rules. Others ventured that Johnson, an ambitious politician, was seeking to grab headlines and possibly trying to undermine his boss.

“Boris Johnson's Channel bridge isn't infrastructure, it's an ego trip,” ran a headline in the Guardian.

Johnson has a history of proposing large-scale infrastructure projects that have not taken off. He campaigned heavily for an airport in the Thames estuary, dubbed “Boris Island” by the British media, which was discarded in favor of building a third runway at Heathrow airport. He also backed a garden bridge across the River Thames, a floral crossing that some said could be London’s answer to New York’s High Line. It was scrapped by Sadiq Khan, Johnson’s successor at City Hall.
A spokesperson for Prime Minister Theresa May says the government has seen no plans for Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson's idea of building a road bridge across the English Channel between France and the United Kingdom.