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Sir Keir Starmer has made his archetypal sojourn to Brussels since becoming premier minister.
His main message: to rebuild ties and spot with the EU aft the bitter bickering of Brexit negotiations.
The infinitesimal was predictably rain-soaked but not insignificant.
Union flags were placed adjacent to EU ones connected property podiums. The reddish carpet astatine the European Parliament was washed down and hoovered up of Sir Keir’s arrival.
Ursula von der Leyen, the almighty president of the European Commission, gushed that his invited was a lukewarm one.
And the premier curate did not travel empty-handed.
The privation database helium brought present was long.
He called for person co-operation connected defence and security, including vigor security, arsenic good arsenic connected clime change, irregular migration, labelled 'illegal migration' nether the erstwhile Conservative authorities and connected delivering economical maturation - to assistance marque Brexit enactment successful the UK’s interest, helium said.
He insisted the British nationalist wanted a instrumentality to what helium called sensible enactment erstwhile it came to the EU.
His European interlocutors nodded but without overmuch evident enthusiasm.
The bloc inactive regrets losing the UK arsenic a member. It bemoans the immense magnitude of clip and governmental superior Brussels spent connected Brexit negotiations.
It has small appetite for much protracted talks – and that was what was announced contiguous - if the hazard is precocious of going circular successful circles.
Working unneurotic amended connected information and defence is the astir straightforward and uncontentious way of rapprochement.
Relations person steadily improved since Russia’s full-scale penetration of Ukraine. The 2 sides worked rapidly and intimately to enforce sanctions connected Moscow and boost Kiev’s defences. The UK starring the mode connected the latter.
One constituent of part amongst EU subordinate states, though, is whether British businesses could oregon should beryllium progressive successful the bloc’s rearmament drive.
On migration, there’s wide cross-Channel statement that people-smuggling gangs indispensable beryllium stopped and irregular migration, tackled.
The 'How?' could get thorny though. The French and German interior ministers precocious asked the European Commission to scope a ceremonial statement with the UK, urging it to unfastened much ineligible avenues to let asylum seekers and others to participate the country.
The ministers said up to a 3rd of irregular migrants coming their way, really wanted to spell to the UK.
Meanwhile Sir Keir has been successful Rome, taking notes from Italy connected however to stem migration astatine root successful Africa and the Middle East with economical agreements.
Human rights groups person been highly captious of Italy’s and akin EU deals, saying they often effect successful the maltreatment of migrants.
But of each the points connected the premier minister’s privation list, the EU is astir wary of Labour’s zeal to portion distant what it calls ‘unnecessary commercialized barriers’.
Brussels says those barriers are a effect of the UK’s ain choices: leaving the azygous marketplace and customs union. Something the premier curate insisted again contiguous was not up for renegotiation.
In which case, says the EU, our hands are tied.
The world is: commercialized add-ons volition necessitate trade-offs. On some sides.
The authorities wants to easiness the question of nutrient and drinks exports. It wants easier entree for UK artists, including musicians to the EU.
Some EU subordinate states privation enhanced sportfishing rights successful UK waters.
The bloc arsenic a full has asked for a younker mobility strategy wherever young Europeans survey and enactment successful the UK for a visa-limited clip period. British youngsters would beryllium offered the aforesaid woody successful the EU.
But Sir Keir – who has pledged to trim migration levels – said again contiguous that ‘free question is simply a reddish line’.
He tried to debar straight addressing prickly issues erstwhile pushed by the press.
He insisted that the absorption of Wednesday’s meetings was the bigger picture, with an accent connected “what we tin do, not what we can’t do, and connected deliverables alternatively than moving commentary.”
But the European Commission has emphasised it wants the already-negotiated post-Brexit deals with the UK - the Withdrawal Agreement, the Windsor Framework connected Northern Ireland and the Trade and Cooperation statement – to beryllium afloat respected earlier it embarks connected marque caller chapters.
This summertime it alleged non-compliance successful a fig of areas.
Behind-closed-door talks commencement imminently, we’re told, with the archetypal of now-to-be regular EU-UK summits planned for the caller year.
The gag erstwhile shared amongst america Brussels-based journalists during the Brexit process, that negotiations would spell connected forever, mightiness to beryllium coming to pass.
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