UK and Germany unite on defence to boost military ties

UK and Germany unite on defence to boost military ties

Germany and the UK have signed a joint declaration, aiming to cooperate more closely on defence and security.

On Wednesday, German Defence Minister, Boris Pistorius, met with his British counterpart, John Healey, who was welcomed with military honours in Berlin.

Pistorius emphasised the desire for a closer partnership between the two countries.

“We want to put our relationship on a new footing,” he said. “And that is why we have signed the Joint Declaration today. We want to strengthen our defence industry, firstly. Secondly, we want to cooperate more closely in the development, production and procurement of weapons and ammunition.”

Support for Ukraine was put at the heart of the agreement, with the two nations taking they wanted to coordinate "even better" in their assistance for the warn-torn country.

Healey also said that the new British government is determined to reset relations with Europe following . “Not just by signing pieces of paper, but in the way that we act together, we work together and that we make Britain democracy's most reliable ally," he stressed.

His Berlin visit was the second stop on a 48-hour European tour which started in France and will go on to Poland and Estonia, where he will meet with UK troops who are stationed there.

The UK’s new Labour government has vowed to put NATO and Ukraine at the forefront of its foreign policy agenda after taking power last month.