Kathmandu— British Prime Minister Andy Burnham held his first official meeting with a European leader since taking office on July 20, discussing border security and stronger ties between Europe and the UK. The talks took place at Downing Street in London on Thursday and covered topics such as migration, the war in Ukraine, trade, and defense cooperation.

Migration Challenges

Burnham and Macron discussed shared challenges related to small boat crossings and the emerging use of mega dinghies transporting undocumented migrants and asylum seekers to England's south coast. The UK government noted that it saw the lowest number of small boat arrivals since 2020 but emphasized its commitment to combatting criminal gangs facilitating dangerous crossings. In response, France will deploy a surge team of 45 officers to western beaches in the coming weeks.

Post-Brexit Cooperation

Burnham is seeking closer post-Brexit cooperation with Europe to boost sluggish domestic growth. He has stated that Britain must be bolder in getting closer to the EU but refused to scrap his predecessor’s rejection of rejoining the bloc's single market or customs union and returning to its internal freedom of movement rules. The UK government spokesperson highlighted concerns about the EU’s Made in Europe agenda, which could pose significant challenges for British industry.

Defense Cooperation

The leaders also discussed defense cooperation, including establishing local assembly lines in Ukraine for the long-range missile SCALP, which uses British technology. They reflected on the successful Coalition of the Willing meeting held last week in Kyiv.

(With inputs from Al Jazeera)

Originally published on abcnews.com.np.