PARIS (AP) — British Prime Minister Keir Starmer will join French President Emmanuel Macron Monday at a ceremony in Paris to mark the 106th anniversary of the armistice. It is a celebration of the friendship between their countries, with countries around the world paying tribute to their soldiers who died in the First World War.
This is the first time a British leader has done so since Winston Churchill was received by General Charles de Gaulle in 1944, Starmer’s office said.
The ceremony in Paris reflects Franco-British commemorations 80 years ago, when Allied forces liberated most of French territory from Nazi occupation, Macron’s office said.
This year also marks the 120th anniversary of the Entente Cordiale, the historic agreement between France and the United Kingdom.
On Monday morning, Starmer and Macron will meet for the first time at the Elysee presidential palace, before heading to the Champs-Elysees to lay wreaths at the nearby statues of Georges Clemenceau, the French prime minister at the time of the armistice, and Churchill.
They will then lead the traditional ceremony at the Arc de Triomphe monument, where they will relight the flame of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. The French army choir sings the French national anthem ‘La Marseillaise’ and the British national anthem ‘God Save the King’.
“I am honored to be in Paris to join President Macron in paying tribute to the fallen of the First World War who made the ultimate sacrifice for the freedom we enjoy today,” Starmer said.
The Prime Minister also announced that the British Government has set aside more than £10 million for next year’s 80th anniversary of the Allied victory in Europe and the subsequent defeat of Japan that ended the Second World War.
