German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier (left) escorts British Prime Minister Keir Starmer to Bellevue Palace upon his arrival in Berlin on Wednesday. Justin Tallis/AP
The British prime minister began a two-day visit to Germany and France on Wednesday with high hopes of repairing his country's difficult relations with its neighbours.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer began his trip with talks with German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, before holding an important meeting with Chancellor Olaf Scholz. Starmer is due to travel to France on Thursday to meet President Emmanuel Macron.
Starmer, who became British prime minister after Labour took power in July's general election, described the visit as a “once in a generation opportunity to reset our relationship with Europe”.
“We must turn Brexit around and repair the broken relationships left by the previous administration,” he said, referring to Britain's departure from the European Union in 2020.
He added that he hoped the UK could forge a truly ambitious partnership with Germany and France “that benefits the British people”.
He also noted that strengthening Britain's ties with Germany and France was “vital not only in tackling the global issue of illegal immigration but also in promoting economic growth across the continent, and in the UK in particular”.
New trade proposals
The proposed partnership with Germany was the main issue on the agenda on Wednesday.
The agreement, expected to be concluded next year, calls for greater cooperation in the areas of trade, defence and illegal immigration, and could go some way to restoring the close cooperation the two countries enjoyed when Britain was a member of the EU.
A UK government spokesman told the BBC the agreement would also cover other areas where increased cooperation would be beneficial, including market access for companies, cooperation in science and technology, clean energy, supply chain resilience and partnerships on biodiversity.
Nils Schmidt, foreign affairs spokesman for Mr Scholz's Social Democrats, told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that the two leaders were in broad agreement about what Britain's relationship with the EU should look like going forward.
“The German government is constantly working to bring the UK closer to Europe and to boost cooperation between the UK and the European Union in as many areas as possible, from trade to student mobility and defence,” Schmidt told the broadcaster.
“And of course the idea is to lay the groundwork for an EU-UK agreement, but also to strengthen bilateral relations between Germany and the UK.”
Schmidt added that part of a future agreement between the two countries could include easier access for young people across the border.
Starmer and Scholz have met several times since Starmer took office, including at the NATO summit in the United States in July and the European Political Community leaders' summit in Britain.
After leaving Germany, Starmer is due to attend the opening ceremony of the Paris Paralympics on Wednesday evening.
During his visit, he is also scheduled to meet representatives from Siemens Energy and Rheinmetall, as well as investors from Thales, Eutelsat, Mistral AI and Sanofi.
