UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer arrived in Germany on Wednesday, his first bilateral visit since taking office seven weeks ago.

German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier welcomed Starmer before talks with Chancellor Olaf Scholz, who received him with military honors in Berlin.

Scholz and Starmer have already met a couple of times since Starmer became the British prime minister. In early July, they both attended the NATO summit in Washington and the European Political Community Summit in England.

Starmer's Labour Party won the July 4 general election with a large majority in Parliament, which propelled him to the premiership.

But Starmer's visit comes in the wake of a recent wave of unrest in the UK after a knife attack led to anti-immigration riots, which officials say were stoked by far-right elements and false information, in the community of Southport and elsewhere last month.

Rebuilding UK's ties to EU and Germany

The UK formally left the European Union in 2020, but it still remains a member of NATO, the G7 group of industrial democracies and the G20 group of the world's biggest economic powers.

Starmer has pledged to rebuild trust with European allies that was damaged by Brexit. His timing may be symbolic, as his Conservative predecessor, Rishi Sunak, waited 18 months before visiting Berlin. 

However, despite vowing to "reset" the UK's relations with the EU, he ruled out rejoining the bloc.

"That does not mean reversing Brexit or re-entering the single market or the customs union, but it does mean a closer relationship on a number of fronts," the prime minister said at a press conference after talks with Scholz.

His government said ahead of the trip that strengthening ties with Germany is "crucial" for tackling illegal migration and "boosting economic growth across the continent and crucially in the UK."

At the press conference alongside Scholz, Starmer announced a new treaty between the UK and Germany, calling it a "once-in-a-generation chance to deliver for working people in Britain and Germany."

Saying that the treaty would foster "deeper links on science, technology, development, people, business [and] culture," Starmer said he believed the treaty would bring "that most precious of goods for both of our countries: economic growth."

A new defense agreement would build on the "already formidable" cooperation between the two countries, Starmer said.

The treaty is expected to be finalized before the end of the year.

'No new decisions' on weapons for Ukraine    

Scholz and Starmer also discussed military support for Ukraine. Both countries have come under pressure over their aid for Kyiv to help it fight off Russia's invasion.

At the press conference, Starmer said that "no new or different decisions had been made" on the use of either British or German weapons sent to Ukraine, but that his government was following the strategy of the former UK government in supporting Kyiv "consistent with the approach of other key allies, including Germany."

He said the UK had a "commitment to stand with Ukraine for as long as it takes."

Scholz, in his turned, reiterated Berlin's continued support for Kyiv, saying also that "as far as weapon supplies are concerned, there are no new decisions from Germany."

Western allies have reacted cautiously to Ukraine's recent incursion into Kursk. The main concern is that their weapons could be used on Russian soil, which could put them in direct confrontation with Moscow.

Germany has been the second-largest contributor of aid to Ukraine after the US, but it may reduce that aid next year.

 

tj,jcg/sms (dpa, AFP)