Starmer, Scholz seek reset in British-EU ties with bilateral treaty
Starmer meets Scholz, business leaders in Berlin
Agree to work on cooperation treaty to help reset relations
Starmer due later in France, will meet Macron
Adds analyst comment in paragraph 11
By Andrew MacAskill and Sarah Marsh
BERLIN, Aug 28 (Reuters) -Britain and Germany's leaders agreed in Berlin on Wednesday to work on an ambitious treaty covering issues from defence to trade that would be part of a reset of British relations with the European Union.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer's trip to the EU's top powers, Germany and France, aims to help Britain move beyond the previous Conservative government's fractious relations with European allies. Starmer, who took office last month, has put improved ties at the heart of his efforts to boost Britain's economic growth.
He billed the new cooperation treaty as a "once-in-a-generation chance to deliver for working people in Britain and in Germany" as it would deepen collaboration in science, technology, business and culture while increasing trade.
Starmer said thatgrowth was his government's "number one mission".
"And what we understand clearly is that building relationships with our partners here in Germany and across Europe is vital to achieving it," he said.
Starmer, addressing a press conference alongside German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, said a reset would not mean reversing Britain's 2020 exit from the EU under the Conservatives, or re-entering the bloc's single market or customs union.
"But it does mean a closer relationship on a number of fronts, including the economy, including defence, including exchanges," he said.
Scholz said Germany wanted to take this outstretched hand.
"The United Kingdom has always been an indispensable part of solving the big issues that affect the whole of Europe," he said. "This has not changed since it left the EU."
In a joint declaration, Britain and Germany said they hoped to sign the cooperation treaty at government consultations "by early next year". Defence ministers were also working on a new defence agreement, they said, which would follow the signing of a joint defence declaration in July.
Stephen Hunsaker, a trade researcher at the UK in a Changing Europe think tank, said however that any efforts to properly improve trade would risk encroaching on EU rules and could only happen at the periphery.
TRUMP FACTOR
Britain and Germany, NATO allies and western Europe's biggest defence spenders, are looking for ways to deepen defence cooperation ahead of a possible scaling back of U.S. military support for Ukraine if former U.S. President Donald Trump returns to the White House in January.
The Republican presidential candidate has warned that if elected, he would fundamentally rethink "NATO's purpose and NATO's mission". He has also not committed to sending further aid to Ukraine and said he would not defend allies that do not increase their defence budgets. Trump is locked in a tight race with Vice President Kamala Harris in the Nov. 5 election.
Concerns that the U.S. could curb support for Ukraine have increased since Trump picked JD Vance as his running mate. Vance has stressed his opposition to the U.S. writing "blank checks" to help Ukraine fight Russia.
An Anglo-German defence partnership could resemble the Lancaster House pact between Britain and France agreed in 2010, according to officials, with pledges to create a joint force and share equipment and nuclear missile research centres.
Starmer also said the two countries would deepen cooperation on shared social challenges like people smugglers, agreeing to develop a joint action plan to tackle illegal migration.
Starmer will head to Paris for the Paralympics opening ceremony on Wednesday night and meet on Thursday with executives from companies including Thales, Eutelsat, Mistral AI and Sanofi. He will also have talks with President Emmanuel Macron.
Reporting by Andrew MacAskill, Sarah Marsh, Miranda Murray and Andreas Rinke in Berlin; Additional Reporting by Kate Holton in London; Editing by Mark Heinrich and Bernadette Baum
Related Assets
Latest News
Disclaimer: The XM Group entities provide execution-only service and access to our Online Trading Facility, permitting a person to view and/or use the content available on or via the website, is not intended to change or expand on this, nor does it change or expand on this. Such access and use are always subject to: (i) Terms and Conditions; (ii) Risk Warnings; and (iii) Full Disclaimer. Such content is therefore provided as no more than general information. Particularly, please be aware that the contents of our Online Trading Facility are neither a solicitation, nor an offer to enter any transactions on the financial markets. Trading on any financial market involves a significant level of risk to your capital.
All material published on our Online Trading Facility is intended for educational/informational purposes only, and does not contain – nor should it be considered as containing – financial, investment tax or trading advice and recommendations; or a record of our trading prices; or an offer of, or solicitation for, a transaction in any financial instruments; or unsolicited financial promotions to you.
Any third-party content, as well as content prepared by XM, such as: opinions, news, research, analyses, prices and other information or links to third-party sites contained on this website are provided on an “as-is” basis, as general market commentary, and do not constitute investment advice. To the extent that any content is construed as investment research, you must note and accept that the content was not intended to and has not been prepared in accordance with legal requirements designed to promote the independence of investment research and as such, it would be considered as marketing communication under the relevant laws and regulations. Please ensure that you have read and understood our Notification on Non-Independent Investment. Research and Risk Warning concerning the foregoing information, which can be accessed here.
