Germany and Britain on Thursday signed a landmark friendship treaty, 80 years after the end of World War II.

Chancellor Friedrich Merz and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer sealed the agreement — largely negotiated by the previous German government — during a meeting in London on Thursday.

What's in the treaty?

The accord — dubbed the "Kensington Treaty" — includes plans for close security and defense cooperation, a mutual assistance clause in crises, and visa simplifications for school exchanges.

On defense, the two sides vowed to "pursue joint export campaigns" to secure international orders for equipment they co-produce, including the Typhoon Eurofighter jet and the Boxer armored vehicle.

The agreement also includes plans to boost connectivity by establishing a new direct rail connection, aiming to deepen economic and people-to-people ties.

Critically for the UK, it also features a pledge by Germany to assist in combating illegal immigration.

The agreement was signed at London's V&A Museum, which is named after Queen Victoria and her German husband, Prince Albert.

What did the leaders say about the treaty?

"This is a historic day for German-British relations," Merz said after the signing. "We want to work more closely — especially after the UK's departure from the European Union." He called the treaty long overdue and said cooperation would deepen across defense, foreign policy, and economic and domestic affairs.

Merz has repeatedly emphasized the need to keep Britain close to the EU following its 2020 exit. Growing concern over Russian threats and doubts about the reliability of the US under President Donald Trump have added urgency to strengthening ties.

Starmer praised the pact as "the first of its kind," saying it was evidence of "the closeness of our relationship as it stands today."

He said the agreement was a "statement of intent, a statement of our ambition to work ever more closely together."

The British premier had also hosted French President Emmanuel Macron the week before to agree on closer Franco-British cooperation.

The three nations have been deepening ties through the E3 format — a diplomatic coordination mechanism between France, Germany, and the UK  in recent months and traveled together to Kyiv in Merz's first week as chancellor.

The two countries already signed a defense deal in October, the "Trinity House Agreement" to strengthen their ability to cooperate and conduct exercises on NATO's eastern flank. In May, they also agreed on the joint development of precision weapons with a range of more than 2,000 kilometers (about 1,200 miles), which other European countries can also take part in.

Edited by: Kieran Burke