The new British Foreign Minister Lammy was the first country to visit Germany after taking office. He expressed that his country wanted to improve relations with the EU and also to work more closely together in other areas.
Germany and Great Britain are seeking closer contact immediately after the new Labor government came to power. British Foreign Secretary David Lammy was the first country to visit Germany after his appointment. “This new government in the United Kingdom has made its priorities very clear. We want to restart – ‘reset’ – our relationship with Europe,” Lammy told Reuters.
Foreign Affairs Minister Annalena Baerbock wrote on X after her meeting with Lammy that the kingdom was a “close partner and friend”. Great Britain has a very large and important trade relationship with Germany, said the British Foreign Minister.
Realignment in climate policy
The new Labor government is also calling for a realignment of Britain’s climate change policy – a fresh start for rising world powers. “These are all issues that Germany has played a leading role in, and that means that there can be an important partnership between the UK and Germany,” the Labor politician reasoned. That is why he visited Berlin for the first time immediately after his appointment.
In addition to Baerbock, Lammy also met with the head of the Chancellery, Wolfgang Schmidt. He announced that he would quickly visit some allies if he won the election.
Not re-entering the EU
Lammy stressed that the Labor government did not want to rejoin the EU either. “We will not re-enter the single market or the customs union, but there is a lot we can do together.” The new government wants to put the Brexit years behind it. “This starts with security and a security agreement between the UK and the EU.” Such an agreement could cover topics such as defence, energy and climate and be very broad.
Lammy also announced a review of the trade relationship between the Kingdom and the EU. “I want to make it clear that the Europeans are our friends and, given the war in Europe, we must continue to increase our defense spending and work closely together.”
Protection policy as another focus
Baerbock mentioned the preparation of the NATO summit to strengthen the defense of Europe as matters of cooperation with Great Britain. In addition, we must work together on international climate policy and in the effort to ease the conflict in the Middle East with a two-state solution for Israelis and Palestinians. Regarding the Gaza war, the Minister described in his article
Baerbock described Great Britain as “an essential part of Europe”. Germany is examining with the new British government “how the UK can move closer to the EU again,” she explained. This applies to areas such as science, culture or security. “We are examining with the new British government how the UK can move closer to the EU again.”
Scholz and Starmer are on the phone
There is already talk at a higher level: Government spokesman Steffen Hebestreit announced that Chancellor Olaf Scholz and the new British Prime Minister Keir Starmer spoke to each other on the telephone. Both agreed that Great Britain’s relationship with European countries was of particular importance. The Chancellor expressly acknowledged the British Prime Minister’s intention to give new impetus to bilateral relations with Germany. In this sense, the two politicians agreed to work quickly to further deepen cooperation between governments.