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Posted: Wed 28th Aug 2024
UK prime minister Keir Starmer has travelled to Germany to begin negotiations for a new deal between the two countries as part of the Labour government's efforts to "reset our relationship with Europe".
As negotiations with German chancellor Olaf Scholz begin, the agreement is expected to cover areas including market access for businesses, science, innovation and technology, clean energy, trade across the North Sea, and supply chain resilience.
According to the BBC, the discussions on market access are believed to cover areas such as helping companies certificate products, and providing more information about tenders.
While in Berlin, Starmer will tell Scholz and German president Frank-Walter Steinmeier that he is focused on ensuring the UK "moves beyond Brexit to rebuild relationships with key partners and improve the lives of hardworking people in both countries".
He will also meet German business leaders including Christian Bruch, chief executive of Siemens Energy, which employs more than 6,000 people in the UK, and Theodor Papperger, chief executive of Germany's largest defence and security company, Rheinmetall.
Germany is Europe's largest economy and the UK's second biggest trading partner, accounting for 8.5% of all UK trade.
Downing Street said it hopes the new bilateral treaty will be agreed by early 2025.
After Germany, Starmer will travel to Paris for the Paralympics opening ceremony. He will also meet French business leaders, including major investors into the UK economy, before discussions with president Macron at the Elysée Palace.
Keir Starmer said:
"We have a once in a generation opportunity to reset our relationship with Europe and strive for genuine, ambitious partnerships that deliver for the British people.
"We must turn a corner on Brexit and fix the broken relationships left behind by the previous government. That work started at the European Political Community meeting last month, and I am determined to continue it, which is why I am visiting Germany and France this week.
"Strengthening our relationship with these countries is crucial, not only in tackling the global problem of illegal migration, but also in boosting economic growth across the continent and crucially in the UK -- one of the key missions of my government."
In its General Election manifesto, the Labour Party pledged to boost small business exports by publishing a new trade strategy that removes the barriers for firms of all sizes, and "make Brexit work by improving on the Conservatives' thin deal".
