UK PM Starmer heads to Brussels for 'first conversation' on EU reset

2/10/2024 7:22

        British Prime Minister Keir Starmer will push for a reset of relations when he meets European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Wednesday for what Brussels described as a "first conversation" on issues like trade, security and youth mobility.
        
        Starmer, whose Labour Party won a July election, has been clear that his government won't seek wholesale negotiation of the Brexit deal that took Britain out of the bloc.
        
        But he is seeking to tweak the relationship in a range of areas. The European Union shares his desire for a joint security pact, but talks on barriers to the movement of goods and people could prove thornier.
        
        "We will only be able to tackle (international) challenges by putting our collective weight behind them, which is why I am so determined to put the Brexit years behind us and establish a more pragmatic and mature relationship with the European Union," Starmer said in a statement ahead of the visit.
        
        Starmer has already visited Berlin, Paris, Rome and Dublin since the election to lay the groundwork for a reset in ties. As well as von der Leyen, Starmer will also hold talks with European Council President Charles Michel and President of the European Parliament Roberta Metsola on Wednesday.