France: Foreign Relations

(asked on 24th May 2021) - View Source

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what results have so far been achieved through the seven partnerships between UK and French places launched by the British Embassy in Paris in 2019.


Answered by
 Portrait
Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
This question was answered on 8th June 2021

The "France-United Kingdom: for strengthened cooperation between our local authorities" competition launched in 2019, reflecting the UK's support for local cooperation with France. The relationship between our two countries goes far beyond London and Paris, spanning a wide range of issues from trade to science and culture. That is why, following the first UK France Mayors Summit in 2019, the British Embassy in Paris made available £22,000 to fund three innovative and impactful projects (four others were funded by the French government).

The UK fund supported:

· A workshop between Greater Manchester and Montpellier. A delegation from Greater Manchester local authority visited and met Montpellier's local elected officials to combine their international expertise on health innovation, particularly for an ageing community. The visit led to further exchanges between the municipal teams.

· A partnership between Glasgow and Marseille. The project was led by Theatrum Mundi, a London-based professional network of urbanists and artists. The project aimed to build links between Glasgow and Marseille around shared challenges in the way culture is supported by urban planning. The project led to the publication of a report collecting their findings following a two-week research project in both cities.

· A partnership between Kent County Council and Pas de Calais department. This project launched a new interregional committee led by the two local authorities to support resilience and prosperity in the areas surrounding Calais and Dover. It was the first major regional cross-border cooperation event. The project led to the creation of a this new platform to discuss shared issues, challenges and areas of further cooperation.

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