Brussels: Europe and the Arabs
An agreement was reached between Brussels and London to hold a joint summit between the European Union and Britain early next year, according to a statement distributed in Brussels last night following a meeting between the President of the European Commission and the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, during which they agreed to strengthen the relationship between the United Kingdom and the European Union. The statement said: “They agreed on the shared challenges facing the EU and the UK, including the changing strategic context for the wider continent, notably as a result of Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine. They reaffirmed their steadfast support for Ukraine’s sovereignty. The leaders agreed that the UK and the EU would also continue to work closely to address broader global challenges, including economic headwinds, geopolitical competition, irregular migration, climate change and energy prices, which pose fundamental challenges to the UK and EU’s shared values ​​and provide the strategic driver for stronger cooperation. The leaders reflected on events in the Middle East overnight and condemned the outrageous attack by Iran on Israel. They recognised Israel’s right to self-defence in the face of this unacceptable aggression. De-escalation by all parties in the region was of paramount importance. They emphasised the need to coordinate a diplomatic response to the situation in the Middle East and called on all parties to exercise restraint and end the bloodshed. The leaders emphasised that an immediate ceasefire in Lebanon and Gaza is essential to create the space to allow political solutions. They agreed on the importance of the unique relationship between the EU and the UK in addressing such challenges and resolved, in line with our shared values, to enhance their strategic and structured cooperation in an ambitious manner.

They emphasised that the Withdrawal Agreement, including the Windsor Framework, and the Trade and Cooperation Agreement underpin their relationship and reaffirmed their mutual commitment to the full and faithful implementation of those agreements. They reaffirmed their mutual commitment to upholding international law and the European Convention on Human Rights. They agreed that a stable, positive and forward-looking relationship is in their common interest and provides the basis for long-term cooperation.

They agreed to move forward on the enhanced cooperation agenda at an accelerated pace over the coming months, starting with identifying areas where enhanced cooperation would be mutually beneficial, such as economics, energy, security and resilience, while fully respecting their internal procedures and institutional prerogatives. They agreed to meet again this autumn.

They agreed on the importance of holding regular EU-UK Leaders’ Summits to oversee the development of the relationship. They agreed that the first summit should take place in early 2025.