The German Chancellor Olaf Scholzand the British Prime Minister, Keir Starmerannounced in Berlin on Wednesday that the two governments would begin working on a bilateral treaty to deepen relations between the two countries, which both describe as friendly and marked by mutual trust.
“Germany and the United Kingdom are bound by a strong friendship and by shared values and interests. We are partners in Europe and in NATO, and given the challenges both our countries face, we believe it is time to take our relationship to another level,” said a joint statement from the two leaders.
In a joint appearance, Scholz stressed that this would be the first treaty of its kind between Germany and the UK. The Chancellor also referred to Starmer’s announcement that he wanted to improve UK-EU relations and said he was happy about the “outstretched hand.”
“The historic decision to leave the EU was taken by the British people and this is not about revoking the Brexit. But to achieve the best possible relations, in the interests of both parties,” he said.
Starmer, for his part, recalled that Germany is the UK’s second largest trading partner and that with increased cooperation, jobs can be created in both countries. The British Prime Minister also said he hoped the treaty could be ready by the end of this year.
Starmer said the deal addresses bilateral issues, but could also be a start to improving relations with the EU. Topics the treaty will address include: foreign policy cooperationindustrial transformation and cooperation in fight against irregular migration“Together we want to strengthen the European pillar of NATO,” Scholz said.
On tackling irregular migration, Starmer said the key will be cooperation to dismantle human trafficking gangs.
