The UK prime minister became the first British leader to visit Ireland in five years on Saturday and promised to “reset” relations between him and Dublin.
Downing Street described the visit, during which Starmer held talks with his Irish counterpart Simon Harris, as “a historic moment for UK-Ireland relations”.
After years of heightened tensions between Ireland and Ireland – mainly over – Harris said:
“Today we are in Dublin to find out what the reset looks like in practical terms for our citizens on both islands. “
“And I certainly know that it must be embedded in things like peace, prosperity, mutual respect and friendship.”
Starmer and Irish Premier aim to boost trade and investment
After the talks, Starmer’s office released a statement saying the two leaders agreed “they want to go further, particularly on trade and investment to boost growth and help deliver on behalf of the British and Irish people.”
Starmer added that the reset was “really important to me and my government,” saying it “could be meaningful, it could be deep.”
The pair also agreed to host the first UK-Ireland summit in March next year to “advance cooperation in key areas of mutual interest such as security, climate, trade and culture”.
The pair swapped English and Irish football shirts before attending a Nations League international match between Ireland and England in Dublin.
The visitors won 2-0 courtesy of goals from two Irish-born players, further underlining the familial and historic ties between the two countries.
Why did British-Irish relations become strained?
Britain’s withdrawal from the EU in 2020 following the 2016 referendum created a land border between the UK and the EU on the island of Ireland – that is, between Northern Ireland, which is part of the UK, and Ireland, which remained in the EU.
The leaders stressed the importance of their joint role as guardians of the Good Friday Agreement, a peace deal that ended decades of sectarian violence on the island of Ireland known as the “Troubles”.
The relationship between London and Dublin “has never reached its full potential but I want to change that,” said Starmer, who has been seeking closer ties with EU members since taking office.
A few days later, Foreign Minister David Lammy met with counterparts from Germany, Sweden and Poland.
Prime Minister Starmer chose Berlin for his first bilateral foreign visit and .
mf/rm (Reuters, AFP)
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