Macron is the first EU leader to be received in London on a regular state visit since Brexit, notes the British media.
That Macron got to ride a gilded carriage with King Charles III before the US's Donald Trump, who is visiting London as the king's guest in the autumn, is seen in Paris as an honor to the particularly deep French-British relationship.
France will never forget the sacrifices that the British people made to protect Europe and the world during the two world wars, said Macron in a speech to the British parliament on Tuesday.
"Must cooperate"
In a turbulent present, the United Kingdom and France must renew their historical alliance, continued the French president.
We must work together to defend the international order that we fought for after the Second World War, said Macron, and mentioned the two countries' roles as permanent members of the UN Security Council and advocates of multilateralism.
He also repeated his message about the importance of European self-assertion and said that the continent must make itself less economically dependent on the superpowers USA and China.
We want an open world. We want to cooperate, but not be stuck in dependence.
Meeting on Ukraine
In the wide-ranging speech, Macron also called for a ceasefire in Gaza and emphasized that Europe "will never abandon Ukraine".
Macron's visit is taking place over three days. On Thursday, he and Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer will participate in a remote meeting on Ukraine with, among others, the country's president Volodymyr Zelenskyj and other European leaders.
