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British Foreign Secretary David Cameron will visit Paris and Rome on Tuesday in a bid to foster European unity on the Israel-Gaza war, Ukraine and efforts to tackle unauthorised migration.
During the one-day trip, Mr Cameron will meet the leaders of France and Italy, Emmanuel Macron and Giorgia Meloni, as well as their foreign ministers.
His visit follows Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s meeting with Ms Meloni on Saturday, with the leader of Britain’s Conservative Party warning that the threat of migration could “overwhelm” European states.
Ahead of his trip, Mr Cameron – who resigned as prime minister after the UK electorate voted to leave the EU during the 2016 Brexit referendum – said Britain needed to “strengthen our alliances” in the face of global crises.
“As we face some of the greatest challenges to international security in a lifetime, our response must be one of strength and resilience with our European allies,” he said.
“From the desperate humanitarian situation in Gaza, to [Russian President Vladimir] Putin’s brutality in Ukraine, it is more important than ever to strengthen our alliances and make sure our voice is heard.”
The Foreign Office said Mr Cameron, who made a shock return to frontline politics last month, would use the trip to reiterate his call for a sustainable ceasefire in Gaza.
He will also push for increased co-ordination by European allies to ensure aid can get into the besieged strip.
Before he travelled, a group of Conservative MPs, including three former cabinet ministers, wrote to the Foreign Secretary saying the case for an immediate ceasefire in the Israel-Gaza conflict is “unanswerable”.
Paul Bristow said on X that he was part of the group who had written to Mr Cameron.
“On October 26 I called for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza,” Mr Bristow said. “I lost my job as a PPS [Parliamentary Private Secretary].
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