British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has informed European Commission (EC) President Ursula von der Leyen of his intention to achieve deeper integration between the United Kingdom and the European Union.
“The Prime Minister outlined his high ambitions for the future partnership between the United Kingdom and the EU. He outlined his desire for further economic, defense and technological integration in the interests of greater security, stronger economic growth and a higher standard of living for the British people“, said a statement issued by the Prime Minister's Office after his talks with the EC President. The talks took place on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference.
“There is no doubt about what the national interest is and I will always fight for what is best for the United Kingdom“, Starmer stressed. The statement noted that politicians also discussed strengthening security and steps to move towards a “more European NATO, while maintaining strong transatlantic ties“.
Earlier, speaking at the conference, the British prime minister said that the United Kingdom is no longer a country in the “Brexit era“. On February 11, the United Kingdom's finance minister, Rachel Reeves, also defended building closer relations with the European Union. Specifically, she stated that the future of the UK is “inextricably linked to the future of Europe“, “not only for economic reasons, but also for security, sustainability and defence“.
The referendum on the UK's exit from the EU was held on 23 June 2016. 51.9% of Britons voted to leave the EU, while 48.1% voted against. After several years of negotiations, the UK left the bloc on the night of 1 February 2020. The post-Brexit transition period, during which all European regulations applied to the UK, expired on 1 January 2021. In December 2020, the parties reached a post-Brexit agreement that includes a free trade area for goods and services without quotas or tariffs and visa-free travel for British citizens to and from the EU for up to 90 days.