Brussels 4 Feb. (Europa Press) –
The European Union and the United Kingdom will celebrate on May 19 on British soil the first bilateral summit since Brexit was consolidated five years ago; An event that the 27 leaders will not attend but the president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, and the president of the European Council, António Costa.
This has been confirmed by both the British government and the coast itself a day after the British prime focus on strengthening cooperation in security and defense.
In a speech at the annual EU ambassadors conference this Friday, Costa has said this Friday that there is a “new positive energy” of the block for the United Kingdom, with whom the union shares “threats” and a “clear interest in strengthening cooperation “.
Also this Friday in Brussels, the British minister for relations with the EU, Nick Thomas-Symonds, has stressed that the EU and the United Kingdom share “interests and challenges” in a context of global change and has proclaimed the commitment of the new government British for complying with the agreements signed after Brexit; while warning that London sees “real opportunities to improve the ‘status quo'”.
Until now, the European Union has been waiting to know what the British government understands to ‘restart’ relations, since in the contacts that have so far London has not put concrete proposals, except to reject a first year last year Attempt to approach Brussels to agree on a plan to facilitate the mobility of young people on both sides of the channel.
Thursday’s dinner, of just over an hour, served to make it clear that the European Union and the United Kingdom are “trusted and predictable partners,” he said later to the Costa press, who explained that in that first contact between The 27 and the British president The dialogue focused on defense and security, but that he is convinced that they can do “much more together.”
“We expect the inter -institutional summit on May 19 and commit ourselves to the United Kingdom not only in the restart, but effectively in the closest relationship that is possible to build together,” said former Portuguese prime minister.
The head of the Community Executive, Ursula von der Leyen, on the other hand, reduced the signs of enthusiasm by warning that there is already a framework agreement for relations between the Union and the United Kingdom that offers “very solid foundations” whose implementation work “still It is underway “and” will continue with us for a while. “
However, German politics added, there is a margin to “explore” a greater collaboration in defense and security with the United Kingdom and is “common sense” to start working on it.
Add Comment