"Put Britain at heart of Europe": UK PM Starmer announces July 22 as date of 2nd UK-EU Summit
Evian, June 16
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and European Council President Antonio Costa on Tuesday agreed to hold the second UK-EU Summit in Brussels on July 22, marking another step in the UK Labour Party's efforts to rebuild ties with the European Union nearly a decade after Brexit.
After the bilateral meeting with Costa on the sidelines of G7, in a post on X, Starmer announced the date of the summit, "Today I've agreed with @eucopresident that we will hold the second UK-EU summit on 22 July."
He said, "My Labour Government is delivering on our promise to reset our relationship and put Britain at the heart of Europe. Together we will tackle the cost of living, boost jobs and create opportunities for young people."
In a post on X, European Council President Antonio Costa echoed the importance of closer cooperation between the two sides and said, "Good discussion with Prime Minister @Keir_Starmer."
He said, "Close EU-UK cooperation is essential for our shared European security, resilience, and prosperity. We are working closely together to make our upcoming second Summit in Brussels on 22 July a success."
According to Politico, earlier, London and Brussels had wanted to hold the get-together on July 13. But the summit date was finalised after uncertainty over whether some EU member countries would oppose a proposed youth experience scheme that could allow British applicants easier access to visas.
The meeting is expected to be a key moment in the ongoing reset of UK-EU relations as Starmer seeks closer cooperation with Brussels while maintaining that Britain will not rejoin the bloc.
According to Euronews, the debate over Britain's future relationship with the EU resurfaced following remarks by Treasury minister Lord Spencer Livermore, who described eventual British re-entry into the European Union as "an inevitability."
Speaking in the House of Lords on June 1, Livermore said, "Should we in due course reenter the European Union, well of course, my personal view is that that is an inevitability."
He added, "Of course, the UK will at one point reenter the European Union."
He further said, "In the meantime, we are doing the European reset, and that is incredibly important in helping growth in our economy."
As per Euronews, Starmer's push to strengthen ties with Europe has drawn criticism from opponents who argue that the government is seeking to gradually reverse elements of Brexit, the 2016 referendum decision that saw Britain leave the EU after a campaign focused on immigration, sovereignty and economic policy.
— ANI
Reader Comments
As someone who follows international relations, this is fascinating. The UK trying to have its cake and eat it too—closer ties with EU without rejoining. But Lord Livermore's comment about "inevitability" of re-entry is quite telling. Feels like Labour is quietly preparing the ground for a slow U-turn on Brexit.
Honestly, the youth experience scheme sounds like a sweet deal for Indian students too. If UK opens up more exchange programs with Europe, maybe it'll mean more opportunities for us desi kids to study or work abroad through partnerships! 🎓
I'm skeptical. Starmer talks about "cost of living" and "jobs" but the real motivation seems political—keeping the EU sweet while trying to avoid a domestic backlash. The whole Brexit saga has been such a mess that I doubt any "reset" will fix the deep damage done to UK's economy and reputation.
As an Indian, I can't help but notice the irony—UK left EU to "take back control" but now they're running back to Brussels for help with the cost of living crisis. Meanwhile, India is busy building trade deals with both UK and EU separately. Smart move by us! 🇮🇳
I appreciate the effort to cooperate on "security, resilience, and prosperity" but the timing feels off. With the Ukraine
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