Reuters. Britain and Germany signed a wide-ranging friendship treaty on Thursday (July 17), deepening ties in areas ranging from defence to transport, to mark Friedrich Merz's first trip to London as chancellor, the latest visit to help reset UK ties with the EU.
Merz's day trip follows a three-day state visit to Britain by French President Emmanuel Macron, signalling greater cooperation between Europe's top three powers at a time of threats to the continent and uncertainty about their U.S. ally.
Germany has similar friendship treaties with just a handful of countries like France, underlining the closeness of their ties.
Coming nearly a decade after Britain voted to leave the European Union, the treaty includes a clause on mutual assistance. It builds on a defence deal agreed last year that included the joint development of long-range strike weapons, and comes after France and Britain agreed last week to reinforce cooperation over their respective nuclear arsenals.
After signing the treaty at London's V&A museum, Starmer and Merz headed to 10 Downing Street.
