Media: Macron to push Starmer on Palestine recognition during state visit

French President Emmanuel Macron is expected to press Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer to recognise Palestinian statehood during his three-day state visit to the UK next week.

The visit, which includes an address to both Houses of Parliament and a bilateral summit, will be marked by ceremonial events and key policy announcements, Caliber.Az reports, citing The Daily Telegraph.

At the heart of the summit is a proposed “one-in, one-out” migrant returns agreement aimed at reducing the record number of small-boat crossings from France to Britain.

French police have already adopted a tougher stance, with officers puncturing dinghies in the Channel to prevent crossings — a tactic supported by Home Secretary Yvette Cooper.

In addition to cooperation on civil nuclear energy, the two leaders are expected to coordinate plans for a future European peacekeeping force in Ukraine, should a ceasefire be agreed.

However, a key point of divergence remains over the recognition of a Palestinian state. While both London and Paris maintain that recognition should come at the right moment, UK government sources say Macron is pushing for quicker action.

France is planning to revive a UN conference on Palestinian statehood in September, which it had initially organised alongside Saudi Arabia before it was cancelled due to Israeli airstrikes on Iran.

The UK, still formulating its position, has signalled caution. Officials in London warn that recognition without strict conditions — such as Hamas renouncing violence and stepping aside from any future Palestinian administration — risks being merely symbolic.

A senior UK official said: “The French are keen to bring us on board. We’re cautious — recognition should deliver tangible progress, not just headlines.”

The move faces strong opposition from Israel, which argues that unilateral recognition effectively rewards Hamas for the October 7 attacks that triggered the Gaza war.

The wider backdrop includes political pressure at home for Sir Keir, amid reports that former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn is considering launching a new party with a more pro-Palestinian stance.

Macron will be welcomed by the King and Queen, and the Prince and Princess of Wales, with a formal carriage procession through Windsor on Tuesday.

By Aghakazim Guliyev