France and Britain defuse fishing row with 'positive' talks

French European Affairs Minister Clement Beaune shakes hands with British Brexit Minister David Frost during their meeting in Paris, France November 4, 2021 in this handout picture obtained from social media. H. Serraz/French Foreign Ministry/Handout via REUTERS

PARIS (Reuters) -France and Britain moved to defuse their dispute over fishing on Thursday, with sanctions off the table for now but all options still possible should talks fail, French European Affairs Minister Clement Beaune said.

Beaune was speaking after meeting British Brexit minister David Frost in Paris after France and Britain came to the brink of a cross-Channel trade war over fishing.