New British Prime Minister Keir Starmer hosts dozens of European leaders on Thursday as he gets to work repairing relationships strained by the Conservatives’ tumultuous Brexit years.
Ukraine, illegal migration, and energy security are on the agenda at the European Political Community (EPC) meeting at Blenheim Palace, the birthplace of Britain’s World War II leader Winston Churchill.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is expected to be among the more than 45 leaders attending the summit.
Starmer, who led Labour to a landslide election win over the Tories two weeks ago, has pledged to “reset” Britain’s relationship with European allies as they grapple with challenges ranging from supporting Kyiv after Russia’s invasion to breaking up people-smuggling gangs.
“The EPC will fire the starting gun on this government’s new approach to Europe, one that will not just benefit us now, but for generations to come,” Starmer said before the one-day summit at the stately home near Oxford, southern England.
Starmer will tell fellow leaders that Britain will take “a more active and greater convening role on the world stage, to strike genuine partnerships that have impact on people’s lives,” the government said.
He will also say that border security will be “at the heart of the government’s reset with Europe.”
‘Historic’
As the summit’s opening neared, new Foreign Secretary David Lammy stressed in broadcast interviews that it was also about post-Brexit relations with more than just the 27 European Union members invited.
“This is a fantastic, historic gathering,” he told Sky News from Blenheim Palace. “We’ve got people from Norway, Turkey, Moldova, other places.”
Migration will be high on the agenda.
More than 380,000 undocumented migrants crossed the EU’s borders last year, with tens of thousands making their way to Britain.
Starmer has promised to “smash the gangs” behind migrant Channel crossings from northern France in small boats that dogged the Tory administrations under Boris Johnson, Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak.
The conference will also see Britain reaffirm its “ironclad” support for Ukraine and likely push for continued international military and financial aid to be supplied to Kyiv.
It comes amid the increasing possibility of Donald Trump regaining the White House in November and with fears over his commitment to the Western military alliance NATO.
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg is due to attend an EPC meeting for the first time, as are the heads of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe and the Council of Europe.
Starmer, who supported Britain remaining in the EU during the 2016 Brexit referendum, has ruled out rejoining the European single market, customs union or freedom of movement.
But he does want to negotiate a new security pact with the bloc and a veterinary agreement to ease border checks on agricultural foods, as well as an improved trading deal.
‘Flesh on the bones’
Starmer will hold several bilateral conversations with European leaders during the conference, including France’s Emmanuel Macron.
“It might put some flesh on the bones of how exactly they want to go about it or a little bit more detail,” Anand Menon of the UK in Changing Europe think-tank told AFP.
A high-ranking EU official said there were “good vibes” in the early contacts with the new Labour government.
“But let’s see,” the official added. “Now we need to go deeper.”
The official said Brussels would need to see the details of any potential new security pact, but warned that the EU was not looking to “reopen” the Brexit deal with Britain.
“Any proposals that would be made would be looked at with an open mind and favorably,” the official said.
“What we think is important is the implementation of existing agreements.”
It will be the fourth EPC meeting since the grouping was founded in October 2022.
European Council chief Charles Michel could also use it to host talks on the sidelines between the leaders of Azerbaijan and Armenia to push efforts to hammer out a peace treaty between the neighboring foes.
