“I have to say, all the human qualities that we learn to appreciate, all those remain very important to all of us. We found with you a very reliable and friendly partner,” he added.
Starmer arrived in Paris Monday for celebrations marking Bastille Day, one of his final foreign engagements as prime minister before stepping down.
He has been credited with trying to rebuild relations with other European capitals — particularly France and Germany — and providing steady support for Ukraine throughout a difficult period for peace talks.
His successor, Andy Burnham, has promised an “even closer relationship” with Europe but has not yet revealed how he hopes to make progress on several outstanding issues with the EU that have eluded Starmer.
Starmer is the first British prime minister to receive the Légion d’honneur. The only other British leader who has been honored by the French state is Winston Churchill, who received the highest award, the Grand-Croix of the Légion d’honneur – in recognition of his leadership during the Second World War.