LONDON (AP) — French President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday urged Britain to stick close to its neighbors despite its exit from the European Union, saying France and the U.K. will “save Europe” by standing for democracy, law and international order in a dangerous world.

King Charles III highlighted the crucial bonds between the United Kingdom and France in the face of a “multitude of more complex threats,” as he welcomed President Emmanuel Macron for the first state visit by a European leader to his country since Brexit.

President Emmanuel Macron’s state visit to Britain, which began Tuesday, is heavy on pageantry. But both he and Prime Minister Keir Starmer hope for practical results.

In a joint declaration, the UK and France agreed for the first time to coordinate the use of their nuclear deterrents in the face of “extreme threats to Europe”, according to a report

Record illegal migrant crossings across the English Channel this year showed Brexit had failed to deliver on a British promise of tighter border controls, said French President Emmanuel Macron, adding that British people had been 'sold a lie.

The conference comes as Europe has stepped up its military support for Ukraine. According to the Kiel Institute for the World Economy, Europe for the first time since 2022 surpassed the U.S. in total military aid, totaling 72 billion euros ($78 billion) compared to 65 billion euros ($70 billion) from the U.S.

French President Macron urges Europe to reduce reliance on U.S. and China, emphasizing defence, climate and democracy cooperation.

The French president is the first European leader to have a state visit to the UK and address a joint sitting of the Houses of Parliament since Brexit

French President Emmanuel Macron's state visit to Britain turned to politics Wednesday as London is expected to press Paris for new measures to curb undocumented immigration.The number of migrants arriving on England's southern coast via small boats from northern France is a major political issue for Labour Prime Minister Keir Starmer.