The disagreement between France and the United Kingdom over fishing rights, according to French President Emmanuel Macron, is a test of the UK's credibility in the post-Brexit world.
Macron defended France's position in a row that is intensifying by the day ahead of a meeting with UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson this weekend at the G20 summit in Rome.
In press statements to the Financial Times (FT), Macron said: "Make no mistake, it is not just for the Europeans but all of their partners. Because when you spend years negotiating a treaty and then a few months later you do the opposite of what was decided on the aspects that suit you the least, it is not a big sign of your credibility."
The French president expressed confidence in Britain's "goodwill" in resolving the conflict. According to the Financial Times, he remarked, "We ought to respect each other and respect the message that has been given."
In an attempt to soothe the waters, Johnson told reporters on Friday that France is "one of our best, oldest, closest allies, friends, and partners," a statement he would reiterate during his meeting with Macron.
He went on to say that the fishing conflict perplexed him, and that he feared that it was Paris, not Britain, who had broken the conditions of the Brexit trade pact.
Johnson cautioned, "Obviously, we're going to take the right measures."
Follow the latest news on Google News
