Since taking office in early July, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has been touring key partners to improve post-Brexit bilateral relations and correct the "phase difference".
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| British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and his Irish counterpart Simon Harris. (Source: PA) |
Keir Starmer’s presence in Dublin on September 7 marked the first visit by a British Prime Minister to Ireland in five years. The visit is seen as a historic milestone, opening up the prospect of improving the relationship between London and Dublin, which has been tumultuous in recent years.
In talks with his counterpart Simon Harris, Prime Minister Keir Starmer pledged to reset relations with Dublin. Emphasizing that the potential for cooperation between the two countries is still great, the boss of No. 10 Downing Street proposed to jointly identify specific directions to improve relations. The British leader hopes that the two countries will be connected through values such as peace, prosperity, mutual respect and friendship.
The two Prime Ministers agreed to further develop bilateral cooperation, especially in trade and investment, to promote growth and bring practical benefits to both sides. Mr. Keir Starmer affirmed that London wishes to build better relations with all EU member countries, including Ireland.
After Labour returned to power in a snap election, Prime Minister Keir Starmer began to seek better cooperation with the EU. The 2016 referendum decision to leave the EU had strained UK-Irish relations. One reason was that the trade rules governing Northern Ireland, which is part of the UK and shares a land border with Ireland, had become a sticking point in the relationship.
In a statement before leaving for Dublin, Mr Keir Starmer affirmed, "The UK-Irish relationship has never reached its full potential. Mr Harris and I are moving forward together and working even deeper together."
The two leaders met a number of businesses before watching the Ireland v England football match together before Mr Starmer returned to London.
A few days after his visit to Dublin, Prime Minister Keir Starmer is scheduled to travel to Washington DC on September 13 to hold talks with host country President Joe Biden. This will be Mr. Keir Starmer's second visit to the US in just two months. Mr. Starmer's previous visit took place a few days after taking office, on the occasion of attending the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Leaders' Summit in Washington DC. During the meeting in the Oval Office, President Joe Biden praised the UK as "the best ally".
Regarding the upcoming talks, according to the White House announcement, the host country's President and Prime Minister Keir Starmer will discuss the importance of the "special relationship" between the US and the UK. The two leaders will "discuss in depth" continuing strong support for Ukraine, securing the release of hostages and a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, protecting international shipping in the Red Sea and promoting a free and open Indo-Pacific region.
The visit comes after Joe Biden decided to withdraw from the 2024 US presidential election and hand over the Democratic Party's nomination to his "vice-president", Kamala Harris. It is not yet clear whether Starmer will meet the Vice President during this trip.
Before Dublin and Washington DC, Prime Minister Keir Starmer has visited a number of EU member state capitals, including Paris (France) and Berlin (Germany), since winning the election in the hope of creating an advantage to move forward, as well as "standing together" on international issues.
In that vein, international public opinion is paying attention to what Mr. Keir Starmer discussed with the leaders of Ireland and the US this time. In Dublin, it is about improving relations with Ireland and the EU after Brexit. And in Washington DC, it is about how the meeting between a newly-elected leader and a leader about to step down will affect the "special relationship" between the two "giants" as well as the conflicts that are strongly and deeply affecting contemporary international life.
Source: https://baoquocte.vn/ngoai-giao-con-thoi-cua-thu-tuong-anh-285978.html
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