
Rubbishing several reports, France has denied rumours about the country giving up its seat on the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) to the European Union (EU).
Reports started making rounds in the western media after a British magazine The Daily Telegraph reported that France is ready to give up its permanent seat at the UNSC to EU.
The report claimed that French President Emmanuel Macron would be willing to give its seat at the UNSC to EU in exchange for some support from some of the EU nations for a European army.
However, France has categorically denied any such plans. "We formally deny this. The seat is ours and will remain that way," the spokesperson for the French government said. "We coordinate with the EU as much as possible and with complete sovereignty."
The news article has also been labelled as "extreme manipulation" by Sandro Gozi, a former Italian Europe minister.
This news has come a little after France was angered by Australia snubbing off a submarine deal which was worth$66 billion for a new defence pact with the US and UK.
The announcement had taken France by surprise. Since then, Macron has been trying to bring European countries together for a closer military integration.