Starmer and Scholz start trying to seal Anglo-German deal – Vivir En Parla

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer met Chancellor Olaf Scholz in Berlin to begin efforts to reach a new deal with Germany as part of rebuilding the relationship between the UK and the EU.

The two countries aim to sign a bilateral treaty on defense and economic relations early next year, but highlighted a difference in approach at a press conference on Wednesday.

“We want to get this extended hand,” Scholz said.

He said the two countries aim to “build our relationship on a completely new basis” with an “agreement that reflects the breadth of our relationship,” but stressed that defense will be at the heart of the discussion.

In contrast, estrella He confirmed that the agreement could “provide a new impetus to our commercial relationship” and that it would lead to growth.

The joint statement between Germany and the United Kingdom also lists goals such as foreign policy cooperation, “expanding people-to-people contacts” and combating illegal immigration.

Last month, with the United Kingdom. Germany Establish defense priorities, including joint procurement and interoperability, support for Ukraine, and coordination on emerging threats.

The UK Government has announced that a more detailed agreement under this framework will be concluded in the autumn and that it will be one of the pillars of a wider deal between the UK and Germany.

Berlin also wants to “strengthen dialogue” with London on possible measures to increase movement, especially of young people, between the United Kingdom and Germany.

“Since Brexit and the coronavirus pandemic, interactions between the two societies have decreased significantly,” Scholz said. “We want to change that. People who know each other understand each other better.”

Starmer then refused to rule out a youth mobility scheme that would allow young EU people to live, work and study in the UK temporarily, with the same rights as young British people.

Instead, Britain said it had “no plans” for such a plan, saying there would be no return to the free movement of people with the EU, which differs from time-limited exchanges.

He said Britain wanted to strengthen its “exchanges” with the EU.

Before the conference in Berlin, the British Prime Minister said that it was a “once in a generation opportunity to reset our relationship with Europe. “

And he said: “We need to turn Brexit around and repair the broken relationship left by the previous government.

The Labor government says it wants to improve Britain’s trade access to Europe after Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s “failed” Brexit deal.

But Starmer has ruled out returning to the EU’s customs union or single market, suggesting the bloc has little desire to resume serious trade negotiations.

Scholz said the Brexit deal was a “credible legal framework” for the relationship and noted that Brussels would play a key role in any negotiations aimed at improving economic ties.

Since the UK decided to leave the EU in 2016, Brussels and London have held talks to strengthen defense and security ties, but within the UK there are concerns that a bilateral relationship is lacking with EU military powers such as Germany. There are also voices wanting to focus on relations between countries.

The Prime Minister will travel to Paris on Wednesday evening to attend the opening ceremony of the Paralympic Games, before heading to the Elysée Palace on Thursday.

Starmer has been in office for less than two months, but this will be his fifth meeting with Scholz and his fourth meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron since taking office, with the aim of strengthening ties strengthened by his European allies. ambition.

Downing Street compared the new partnership being explored by London and Berlin to the 2010 Lancaster House Agreement between Britain and France to deepen defense and security cooperation.

Germany, Europe’s largest economy, is the UK’s second largest trading partner, accounting for 8.5% of the UK’s total trade.

Starmer will hold an international investment conference in October and will use his two-day trip to Europe to build relationships with companies.

Starmer met in Berlin with the CEOs of Germany’s largest defense companies, Siemens Energy and Rheinmetall, and in Paris, with officials from the technology company Thales, the satellite operator Eutelsat and the pharmaceutical and healthcare company Sanofi.

Additional reporting by Maxine Kelly in London and Henry Foy in Brussels