Britain's King Charles praises bilateral ties in visit to French parliament

By Burak Bir

LONDON (AA) - King Charles III praised ties Thursday between the UK and France as he became the first British monarch to address the French Senate chamber.

Charles said the UK will always be one of France's "closest allies and best friends" when he addressed senators and members of the National Assembly.

"As neighbors, friends, partners and allies, there is no challenge to which we cannot rise, as we have done so often in the past," he said.

Charles, accompanied by Queen Camilla, arrived Wednesday as part of a three-day state visit.

He touched on importance of the unity by confronting challenges.

"Ours is a partnership forged through shared experience, and one which remains utterly vital as, together, we confront the challenges of our world," he said.

He thanked France for "the great kindness" expressed when his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, died.

"When my mother died almost exactly one year ago, my family and I were moved beyond measure by the tributes that were paid to her across France," said Charles.

Touching on the war in Ukraine, he noted that the UK and France are united in support of Ukraine against Russia.

Meanwhile, the UK and France reaffirmed commitments to accelerate action on climate change and protecting the natural environment.

"Both governments are committed to deepening this further, and to increasing support for emerging and developing economies," said a joint statement following a gathering by President Emmanuel Macron and Charles at the National Museum of Natural History in Paris where they heard from chief executives and leading organizations about efforts to tackle climate change.

Earlier Wednesday, Charles and Camilla met French sports stars in Saint-Denis in the northern suburbs of Paris where the king was given a Paris Saint Germain shirt by the football club's President Nasser al-Khelaifi. Charles also met PSG defender Presnel Kimpembe and former Chelsea star Didier Drogba.

Camilla, accompanied by Macron's wife, Brigitte, played table tennis at a meeting with youngsters in Saint-Denis.

The trip, the first since Charles' accession, was originally scheduled for March but was postponed because of protests concerning pension reforms introduced by Macron's government.

Charles ascended to the throne Sept. 8, 2022, following the death of his long-serving mother.

On May 6, in the country's first coronation service in nearly 70 years, he was crowned along with Camilla at Westminster Abbey.