Five years after Brexit, Germany and the United Kingdom have formally placed their relationship on a new footing with a wide-ranging friendship treaty, reported dpa.<\/p>\n
Chancellor Friedrich Merz and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer signed the 27-page agreement – accompanied by a 17-point action plan – during a ceremony at London’s Victoria and Albert Museum on Thursday.<\/p>\n
Merz, on his first visit to the UK since taking office in May, called it a “historic day for German-British relations.”<\/p>\n
“We want to work more closely together, especially after the United Kingdom’s exit from the European Union. It is long overdue that we conclude such a treaty with each other,” the conservative politician said at the museum.<\/p>\n
The treaty aims to deepen cooperation in key areas including defence, economic policy, migration and the fight against cross-border crime.<\/p>\n
It also outlines concrete measures to ease travel between the two countries, such as visa-free school trips and plans for a direct rail link.<\/p>\n
The preamble says both governments are “guided by the desire to join forces for a prosperous, secure and sustainable future for their citizens and their open, democratic societies in the face of fundamental changes of the geopolitical environment.”<\/p>\n
Defence: Mutual assistance and arms cooperation<\/strong><\/p>\n The treaty underscores the countries’ mutual defence obligations as NATO allies, which is made especially significant given the UK’s status as a nuclear power. The goal is to boost European deterrence and defence over the next decade.<\/p>\n The two sides plan to jointly develop a European-made long-range weapons system capable of striking targets up to 2,000 kilometres away, addressing a capability gap with Russian medium-range missiles.<\/p>\n Export rules for jointly developed military equipment will also be eased. Germany\u2019s traditionally strict regulations have slowed arms exports in the past, but the UK hopes a more flexible approach could unlock billions in potential sales.<\/p>\n Visa-free travel and rail links<\/strong><\/p>\n One of the most tangible steps is visa-free travel for German school groups visiting the UK, set to take effect by the end of the year.<\/p>\n Currently, students without German citizenship – such as those from Syria or Afghanistan – must obtain UK visas, which can be difficult and have led some schools to cancel trips entirely.<\/p>\n An expert working group will also look into broader “mobility challenges” created by Brexit, especially in education, science, culture and political exchange.<\/p>\n A long-term goal is to establish a direct passenger rail connection between Germany and the UK. Currently, such travel requires transfers due to border control issues. A task force will be created to move this forward, with the first direct trains expected within a decade.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, British travellers will gain access to automated e-gates in Germany by the end of August, with further expansion planned as infrastructure allows.<\/p>\n Migration: Tackling human smuggling<\/strong><\/p>\n Germany and the UK have agreed on an action plan to combat irregular migration, with a focus on human-smuggling networks. This includes legal cooperation, joint criminal prosecutions and strengthened border controls.<\/p>\n Starmer\u2019s Labour government faces mounting pressure at home to reduce the number of small-boat crossings across the English Channel – a politically charged issue that has fuelled the rise of Nigel Farage\u2019s Reform UK party, currently polling ahead of other parties.<\/p>\n With more than 20,000 Channel crossings already recorded this year, 2025 could break previous records.<\/p>\n Germany is seen as both a transit route for migrants and a source of boats and equipment used in the Channel crossings.<\/p>\n Last week, Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron announced a new migrant return agreement due to begin within weeks aimed at deterring migrants from making the dangerous journey. The deal still faces legal hurdles, however.<\/p>\n Merz and Starmer have crossed paths several times since Merz was sworn in on May 6, including during a surprise joint visit to Kiev alongside Macron and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk just days later.<\/p>\n (By Michael Fischer and Christoph Meyer)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Five years after Brexit, Germany and the United Kingdom have formally placed their relationship on a new 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