Britain and France agree on nuclear, military cooperation

Feb 17, 2012, 13:42 GMT

Paris/London - Britain and France on Friday signed a deal on increased cooperation in the development of nuclear energy while also announcing closer defence ties.

The pledges were made at a summit in Paris between French President Nicolas Sarkozy and British Prime Minister David Cameron, at which both men seemed eager to patch up the frosty relations on display after December's fractious European Union summit.

Despite their occasional and 'traditional' differences over Europe, cooperation between the two countries on foreign and defence issues was better 'than at any time since World War II,' Sarkozy said.

The agreement on nuclear cooperation is expected to create deals worth more than 500 million pounds (790 million dollars) while creating more than 1,500 jobs in Britain.

Britain's Rolls-Royce engineering company secured a major stake in the building by French nuclear constructor Areva of four new reactors, including one at Hinkley Point in southern Britain.

The two governments also agreed to push ahead with the next phase of plans to build a new generation of unmanned fighter aircraft, of which a prototype is set to be produced by 2020.

Plans to create a joint Anglo-French command control and command centre for future rapid deployment operations would also be accelerated, the British Press Association reported.

For Cameron, the trip was an opportunity to gauge the political temperature in France after Sarkozy's declaration that he will stand for a second term in elections to be held in April and May.

Sarkozy faces an uphill battle to win re-election over his more popular Socialist rival, Francois Hollande.

Accompanying Cameron were his Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg, Defence Secretary Philip Hammond, Energy Secretary Ed Davey and Foreign Secretary William Hague.

On the French side, Prime Minister Francois Fillon, Foreign Minister Alain Juppe, Defence Minister Gerard Longuet and Industry Minister Eric Besson were taking part in the talks.

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