The Prime Minister held bilateral talks with Chancellor Merkel today in Berlin ahead of a meeting with EU leaders to prepare next week’s G20 summit in Hamburg.
The Prime Minister said the UK was fully supportive of Germany’s G20 presidency, and would work to ensure meaningful progress at the summit in key areas including counter-terrorism.
They discussed Brexit, welcoming the constructive start to the negotiations and agreeing it was important that the rights of citizens was the first issue to be discussed.
They agreed on the need to work even more closely together to counter threats to European security, including countering Russia’s destabilising external interference in Europe’s neighbouring regions such as the Western Balkans, and encouraging swift implementation of the Minsk Accords in Ukraine.
After her bilateral meeting with Chancellor Merkel, the Prime Minister’s talks with EU leaders covered a range of topics due to be discussed at the G20 summit, including counter-terrorism, trade, and climate change.
On counter-terrorism, the Prime Minister made the point that the international community must come together and do more to counter terrorism and extremism, which is a shared threat facing us all. She said we needed to see continued progress in tackling online radicalisation, building on the agreements reached at the G7 summit.
On trade, the Prime Minister made the point that the UK is a powerful advocate for free trade and the World Trade Organisation, and a global economy that works for everyone. She said the international community must acknowledge that some people feel left behind by globalisation, and that not all countries are playing by the rules. The Prime Minister encouraged other leaders to take steps to make the international trading system work better, and also to ensure that all our citizens can share in the benefits of the global economy.
Finally, on climate change, the Prime Minister reiterated that the British government’s commitment to the Paris Agreement and tackling global climate change is as strong as ever. We play a leading role internationally and are delivering on our commitments to create a safer, more prosperous future for us all. The Prime Minister confirmed that the UK will continue working closely with our partners on energy and climate change issues.
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