European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen welcomed British Prime Minister Keir Starmer to Brussels on Wednesday with an invitation to work closer together in “very uncertain times”.
“Like-minded partners like us must work more closely together,” von der Leyen said, listing their shared beliefs on fighting climate change and supporting Ukraine against the large-scale Russian invasion.
Starmer is in the Belgian capital on his first visit in an attempt to repair relations with the European Union after a fraught relationship during the previous Conservative government.
The Labor prime minister said he wants to “make Brexit work” for the British public and put relations with the bloc on a more stable footing to boost British economic growth and security interests.
“In dangerous times, we have a duty to work together to maintain stability and security,” he said. Starmer also identified migration as an area where there was room for cooperation with the EU.
How Britain hopes to improve ties with the EU still remains unclear. A statement from the British government ruled out a return to the EU’s customs union, the single market or accepting the bloc’s free movement rules for EU citizens.
Von der Leyen stressed that the EU and Britain reached a series of agreements after Britain left the bloc, which require “full and faithful implementation.”
The President of the European Commission and the British Prime Minister jointly condemned Iran’s ballistic missile attack on Israel and called for calm to stop the spread of the conflict in the Middle East.
Starmer said all parties must “pull back from the brink” and find a way to de-escalate. Von der Leyen reiterated the EU’s call for a ceasefire in Gaza and on the Lebanese border.
