Germany, UK sign deal to boost military ties

Germany and the UK said on Wednesday that they would cooperate more closely on defense and security issues.  

The statement came as UK Defense Secretary John Healey visited Berlin to hold talks with his German counterpart, Boris Pistorius.

On Wednesday, both ministers inked a joint defense declaration that was hailed as the first of its kind between the NATO allies.

What's the deal about?

The deal includes calls to bolster the defense industries in both countries, cooperate more closely on the development and procurement of weapons, and coordinate "even better" on support for Ukraine, Pistorius said.

The pact would "strengthen the European pillar within NATO and thus NATO as a whole," Pistorius told a joint press conference.

Healey shared a similar view. He said the deeper cooperation in the defense sector would boost both nations' security as well as "our national economies."

Britain's Defense Ministry said the two nations would also work together to tackle security challenges such as in the cyber domain.

Resetting ties with the EU?

Healey's Berlin visit is part of his two-day trip that includes stops in France, Poland and Estonia.

"These visits send a clear message that European security will be this government's first foreign and defense priority," Healey said in a statement, referring to Britain's new Labour government.

He underlined that London is "determined to reset relations with Europe."

New UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer has said he wants Britain to increase cooperation with European allies on defense and security to better support Ukraine, a message he reiterated at a meeting of the European Political Community last week.

Starmer has also proposed the idea of a UK-EU security pact to cover a range of areas such as energy and migration.

sri/sms (Reuters, AFP, dpa)

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