David Lammy, as part of Labour’s “reset” with Europe, has become the first foreign secretary to attend a regular meeting with EU foreign ministers since Brexit. Lammy was invited as a special guest of EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs Josep Borrell to discuss the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East, and also to talk about Labour’s agenda. Since Brexit, British ministers have rarely met their EU counterparts, with Liz Truss being the last foreign secretary to attend an emergency meeting in response to Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Upon arriving in Luxembourg for the meeting, Lammy described it as “a historic moment that marks our EU reset” and called EU and UK security as “indivisible”. He acknowledged the importance of Britain and Europe remaining steadfast in the face of the aggression of Russia in Ukraine, the tremendous issues and conflicts in the Middle East, and geopolitical affairs more generally. Lammy expressed the hope that the meeting would be the starting point for a new “habit” of UK-EU cooperation.
The Foreign Office stated that the UK’s attendance at the meeting would be part of more regular engagement, with plans for closer working on international affairs. The test would be whether all this moves beyond diplomatic courtesy to meaningful substance. Borrell, during the meeting, emphasised the importance of “how we can grow together in security issues”. He said that in these dark moments with so many challenges around the world, a strong continent, because they are part of the same continent, require a strong partnership.
The meeting between Lammy and the EU ministers followed last week’s talks in Brussels between the prime minister and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. Sir Keir Starmer, on behalf of Labour, promised to offer “pragmatic, sensible leadership” as he pushed for a reset in the UK-EU relationship after the turbulence of the Conservative years. Von der Leyen noted that the various post-Brexit arrangements like the Trade and Co-operation Agreement (TCA), signed in December 2020, needed to be fully implemented to move forward
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