UK's Minster for EU Relations scheduled to visit Brussels on Monday
New UK Minister for European Union Relations Heads to Brussels for Key Discussions
Minister Nick Thomas-Symonds, the UK's new Minister for European Union Relations, has embarked on his first official visit to Brussels today. The purpose of his visit is to meet with EU Commission Executive Vice President Maroš Šefčovič for a face-to-face discussion, aiming to set the foundation for further discussions between the UK and EU.
This meeting follows a positive introductory call between the two on July 7th. Prime Minister Keir Starmer appointed Minister Thomas-Symonds to lead future UK discussions with the EU and to reset the UK-EU relationship.
During the summit, Minister Thomas-Symonds also met with European leaders including Germany, Poland, Sweden, and Turkey.
Upon his arrival in Brussels, Minister Thomas-Symonds visited the UK Ambassador to the EU and addressed UK Mission to the EU staff. EU Commission Executive Vice President Maroš Šefčovič welcomed Minister Thomas-Symonds and expressed his anticipation for their meeting, looking forward to discussing ways to strengthen cooperation between the EU and the UK.
Neither Minister Thomas-Symonds nor EU Commission Executive Vice President Maroš Šefčovič mentioned any specific goals or outcomes for their meeting in the provided paragraph. However, Minister Thomas-Symonds reiterated the UK's commitment to strengthening ties with the European Union and emphasized the importance of a strong UK-EU alliance in addressing shared global challenges such as climate change and illegal migration.
EU Commission Executive Vice President Maroš Šefčovič highlighted the shared values and challenges that the EU and the UK face, which are global in nature. He also mentioned the existing agreements between the EU and the UK as the cornerstone of their partnership.
In addition to his meetings with EU officials, Minister Thomas-Symonds met with US lawmakers, including the Chair and Ranking Member of the Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Europe.
Other UK Ministers have held introductory calls with their EU counterparts, including Prime Minister Keir Starmer with Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Foreign Secretary David Lammy with High Representative Josep Borrell, Home Secretary Yvette Cooper with Commissioner for Home Affairs Ylva Johansson, and Secretary of State for Business and Trade Jonathan Reynolds with Trade Commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis.
Minister Thomas-Symonds expects to engage frequently with EU colleagues in the coming months. Keir Starmer appointed Nick Thomas-Symonds as Minister for European Union Relations in October 2022.
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