Ed Miliband to visit France and Spain as both countries experience devastating wildfires
Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband will make his first European trip since taking the role, visiting France and Spain on Wednesday as both countries battle devastating wildfires. The visit aims to show UK solidarity while pressing the case that the fires underscore the wider climate emergency requiring coordinated international action, alongside a broader push to strengthen ties with the EU.
In Paris, Miliband will meet French counterpart Jean-Noel Barrot to discuss European security, support for Ukraine, Middle East peace efforts and migration cooperation, before travelling to Madrid for talks with Spanish foreign minister Jose Manuel Albares covering the UK-EU Gibraltar treaty and security collaboration. The wildfires have forced more than 360,000 people to flee across the two countries, with France ordering a further 4,000 evacuations near Bordeaux amid a renewed heatwave that President Macron said posed France's toughest challenge since the Second World War, with the crisis expected to persist until at least Sunday.
In short
- Miliband visits France and Spain amid major wildfires, his first EU trip
- Over 360,000 people evacuated across both countries
- Talks to cover security, Ukraine, Gibraltar and the climate crisis
Explained simply
France and Spain are experiencing devastating wildfires that have forced hundreds of thousands of people to evacuate their homes. The fires, fuelled by intense heat, continue to spread and have destroyed vast areas of countryside.
Ed Miliband is the UK's Foreign Secretary, the government minister responsible for Britain's relations with other countries. He is visiting France and Spain on Wednesday for meetings with their foreign ministers, aiming to demonstrate British solidarity during the crisis.
The visit is also an opportunity to discuss broader European matters including security, support for Ukraine, and Britain's relationship with the European Union. The wildfires underscore how extreme weather and climate challenges increasingly affect multiple countries, making international cooperation essential.