British Prime Minister Boris Johnson promised on Friday to "do what is necessary" to defend the interests of his country in the conflict between him and France over post-Brexit fishing licenses.

"We will do what is necessary to defend British interests," he told reporters on the plane to Rome where he is due to attend the G20 summit this weekend.

"Links" "stronger than the current turbulence"

"France is one of our best, our oldest, our closest allies, friends, partners" and "the ties which unite us, which bind us, are much stronger than the current turbulence in our relations" , he also stressed. "And that's what I will say to Emmanuel [Macron], who is a friend, whom I have known for years".

The two are expected to meet face-to-face over the weekend in Rome, on the sidelines of the G20 leaders' summit ahead of COP26 in Glasgow.

France criticizes the United Kingdom for granting too few post-Brexit fishing licenses to its fishermen.

She threatened to ban British fishing vessels on Tuesday from unloading their cargo in French ports and to strengthen customs controls on trucks, if the situation did not improve by then.

Paris demands 200 additional licenses 

"We are concerned that this is a breach of the terms of the Trade and Cooperation Agreement" between London and the European Union signed after Brexit, Boris Johnson said, adding: "We will stand ready to take appropriate action" if France carried out its threats. In retaliation, London plans to implement "rigorous controls" on European ships spawning in its waters.

The post-Brexit agreement, concluded in extremis at the end of 2020 between London and Brussels, provides that European fishermen can continue to work in certain British waters under certain conditions.

London claims to have granted 98% of EU vessel license applications to fish in its waters, a figure disputed by France, which speaks of 90%.

In areas still disputed in particular, London and Jersey have granted a little more than 210 definitive licenses but Paris is still claiming more than 200.

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