LONDON: British Prime Minister David Cameron hosts French President Francois Hollande on Friday for talks set to be dominated by increased cooperation on defence and differences over European Union reform.
The first Anglo-French summit since Hollande's election in 2012 takes place at a military base in Cameron's constituency in Oxfordshire, west of London, and will be followed by an informal lunch at a local pub.
Despite an agenda packed with weighty issues, Hollande is unlikely to escape questions from Britain's famously prurient press about his recent split from his partner, Valerie Trierweiler.
The setting of the Royal Air Force base at Brize Norton reflects the strong defence theme of the summit, which builds on a landmark agreement on defence and security cooperation between Britain and France in 2010.
In a significant move towards shared equipment and weaponry, the two countries will agree to the joint purchase of #500 million (about 600 million euros, $830 million) of anti-ship missiles for use on naval helicopters, British officials said.
They will also agree to spend #120 million on a two-year feasibility study into producing an armed drone, following provisional work by British and French companies BAE, Rolls-Royce, Thales and Dassault.
The ministers will review progress on setting up a joint force of up to 10,000 soldiers by 2016, and will also look into underwater drones for mine clearance.
The summit breathes fresh life into the 2010 defence agreement, which was signed by Hollande's predecessor, Nicolas Sarkozy, and appeared to stall when the current Socialist president was elected.
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