17th Jul 2025 06:41
(Alliance News) - Keir Starmer will host German chancellor Friedrich Merz on his first official visit to the UK on Thursday as the prime minister seeks to boost ties on defence and tackling people smuggling operations.
Berlin agreed last year to make facilitating the smuggling of migrants to the UK a criminal offence in a move that will give law enforcements more powers to investigate the supply and storage of small boats to be used for Channel crossings.
Merz is expected to commit to adopting the law change by the end of the year.
"Chancellor Merz's commitment to make necessary changes to German law to disrupt the supply lines of the dangerous vessels which carry illegal migrants across the Channel is hugely welcome," Starmer said.
"As the closest of allies, we will continue to work closely together to deliver on the priorities that Brits and Germans share."
The prime minister has been seeking to strengthen ties with EU countries, including to bring down small boat crossings, and last week secured a migrant return agreement with France.
The UK and Germany, two of the biggest providers of support to Ukraine, signed a defence pact last year with the aim of closer co-operation in the face of a growing threat from Russia.
During Merz's visit, the leaders are expected to unveil an agreement to jointly produce defence exports such as Boxer armoured vehicles and Typhoon jets and commit to developing their deep precision strike missile in the next decade, with a range of more than 2,000 kilometres.
The chancellor and Starmer will also sign a bilateral friendship and cooperation treaty that includes plans to set up a new UK-Germany Business Forum.
Starmer said: "The Treaty we will sign today, the first of its kind, will bring the UK and Germany closer than ever. It not only marks the progress we have already made and the history we share.
"It is the foundation on which we go further to tackle shared problems and invest in shared strengths."
A series of commercial investments are being announced to coincide with the visit, worth more than GBP200 million and will create more than 600 new jobs.
These include Berlin-based defence tech company Stark Systems setting up a production facility in Swindon, its first outside Germany, and Dusseldorf-based conversational AI firm Cognigy GmbH investing GBP50 million and expanding its UK team from 13 to 150.
By Helen Corbett, PA Political Correspondent
Press Association: News
source: PA
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