Ahead of his visit to Paris, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer is in Germany to discuss a new bilateral treaty. He hopes to “move beyond Brexit to rebuild relations” with the EU.
For his first bilateral visit, Keir Starmer chose Germany. Arriving in Berlin on Wednesday, the British Prime Minister met with Chancellor Olaf Scholz.
A trip that marks his desire to move closer to the EU after Brexit, something he has repeatedly said during the campaign for the UK legislative elections, won last month by Labour.
Keir Starmer wants to renegotiate a better trade deal with the 27. But he has clearly ruled out joining the single market or the treaty on the free movement of people.
In Berlin, he plans to negotiate a bilateral agreement, similar to the “Lancaster House” treaty signed in 2010 between Paris and London. An agreement that Downing Street hopes to finalize in 2025, and which should help stimulate trade and strengthen “Joint action against illegal immigration”.
After Germany, Keir Starmer is expected in Paris, where he is due to attend the opening ceremony of the Paralympic Games and meet with Emmanuel Macron at the Élysée Palace.