UK and Ireland Seek to Restart Relationship Damaged by Brexit

Posted on: 2024-09-08 23:44

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer visited Ireland on Saturday, meeting with business leaders alongside Irish Prime Minister Simon Harris to emphasize the need to restart the relationship between the two countries, damaged by Brexit.

Starmer’s meeting with Irish Prime Minister Harris in Dublin marked the first visit to Ireland by a British prime minister in five years. The two leaders discussed ways to strengthen their collaboration and cooperation on various issues.

“We had a very successful meeting today, agreeing on themes, structures, and ways to move forward, both in March next year and annual summits thereafter,” said Prime Minister Harris. “This will provide a much stronger foundation for our collaboration and cooperation on many issues.”

Both Harris and Starmer highlighted the need to consolidate and restart the relationship between the UK and Ireland. Irish Prime Minister Harris stated, “I am very pleased to have this opportunity today to undertake an ambitious reset of the relationship between the UK and Ireland.”

British Prime Minister Starmer added, “So a reset of relations, a reset of relations with the EU. Obviously, we have left the EU, but I think we can have a closer relationship.” Relations between the two countries have been strained since Britain voted to leave the European Union in June 2016.

During the visit, Starmer made it clear that he would not seek Britain’s rejoining the EU, nor would he seek a frictionless single market and customs union with the EU. Instead, he hopes to renegotiate a post-Brexit trade agreement with the EU to boost economic growth.

The UK and the EU signed the “Windsor Framework” agreement in February last year to resolve trade disputes in Northern Ireland after Brexit. However, differences surrounding the border issue between Ireland and the Northern Ireland region of the UK remain unresolved.

Report by New Tang Dynasty Television reporters Yan Feng and Zhang Ruiqi