British Prime Minister Keir Starmer (left) and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz meet at the Chancellery in Berlin, Germany, Wednesday, August 28, 2024.
Christian Boch | Bloomberg | Getty Images
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz met in Berlin on Wednesday in a bid to deepen ties amid a broader reset in ties following London’s departure from the European Union.
At a press conference after the meeting, Starmer said areas of bilateral agreement being discussed could include energy security, defence, climate change and economic topics. The British leader added that a strong relationship between the two countries was also important for economic growth, noting that Scholz and he had also spoken about an action plan against illegal immigration.
The agreement is not expected to be formalized until the end of this year.
Scholz on Wednesday called Germany and Britain “special partners,” according to a CNBC translation, while Starmer said the two countries had built a strong relationship and were building on it.
Since taking office in July, Starmer has repeatedly said that his government will seek to “reset” relations between Britain and European countries. The British Prime Minister is visiting Berlin as part of a multi-day trip to Germany and France to meet with several political and business leaders.
“We have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to reset our relationship with Europe and work towards a real, ambitious partnership that benefits the British people,” Starmer said ahead of the visit.
He added: “We must reverse Brexit and repair the broken relationship left behind by the previous government.”
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