Keir Starmer made the first visit by a British leader to Ireland in five years to restore bilateral relations

Ireland’s Prime Minister Simon Harris shakes hands with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer in Dublin on September 7, 2024. (Peter Morrison/REUTERS)

The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Keir Starmercarried out this Saturday the first visit by a British leader to Ireland in five years, promising “reset” damaged relationships between these neighbouring nations after Brexit.

The visit, described by Downing Street as a “historic moment for relations between Ireland and the United Kingdom” marks a new rapprochement in ties that had deteriorated under the previous Conservative government in the United Kingdom.

His Irish counterpart, Simon Harriswelcomed Starmer in Dublin, where the two shook hands and posed for a photograph before starting talks.

“Today we are in Dublin to put into practice what a reset means… in a practical sense for our citizens on both islands”Harris said at the start of the talks. “And I certainly know that it has to be rooted in things like peace, prosperity, mutual respect and friendship.”

Starmer added that the restoration of relations was “really important” to him and his government. “It can be significant. It can be profound,” he said.

Harris and Starmer pose in their countries’ soccer jerseys at Farmleigh House, Ireland, Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Peter Morrison Pool)

Following the talks, Starmer’s office issued a statement saying both leaders took note of the existing ties between the countries, but “They agreed that they wanted to go even further, particularly on trade and investment, to help drive growth and deliver results on behalf of the British and Irish people.”

“In this regard, they agreed to hold the first UK-Ireland summit in March next year, which will boost cooperation in key areas of mutual interest such as security, climate, trade and culture,” he added.

Both leaders condemned the recent riots in England and Ireland and agreed to deepen their collaboration in the Fighting misinformation on the InternetDowning Street said.

They also stressed the importance of their joint functions as guardians of the Good Friday Agreement, the landmark peace deal reached in 1998 that ended decades of sectarian violence in the British province of Northern Ireland.

Harris, who became taoiseach (prime minister) in April, He was the first international leader to be received by Starmer in the UK following his landslide election victory in July.

The pair chatted over pints of Guinness, Ireland’s national drink, at the British prime minister’s country residence, Chequers, northwest of London, ahead of a wider meeting of European leaders.

The emphasis on “repairing” British-Irish relations marks a a notable change in language, after tensions between Dublin and London have increased in recent years.

Simon Harris and Keir Starmer met business leaders for talks at Farmleigh House in Dublin on September 7, 2024 (Peter Morrison/REUTERS)

Britons narrowly voted to leave the European Union in a 2016 referendum and the country finally left the bloc in 2020 after years of political division and stalemate.

The former Conservative Prime Minister’s harsh break with the EU Boris Johnson It was widely seen as a destabilisation of relations between EU members Ireland and Northern Ireland.

Since coming to power, Starmer has initiated the repeal of a law granting conditional immunity to perpetrators of crimes during decades of sectarian violence in Northern Ireland.

Relatives of those who lost their lives in the “riots” have fiercely opposed this measure.

During Saturday’s meeting, leaders reaffirmed the Good Friday Agreement and its commitment to reconciliation in Northern Ireland.

Starmer and Harris later attended the Nations League football match between Ireland and England.

(With information from AFP)