Sir Keir Starmer has hailed the "closeness" of the UK and Germany as the two nations signed their first bilateral treaty since the Second World War. The Prime Minister and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz signed the landmark deal at the V&A Museum in London, with both leaders pledging to "work ever more closely" on trade and security issues.
The agreement, known as the Kensington Treaty, was also signed by Foreign Secretary David Lammy and his German counterpart Johann Wadephul. Speaking at the ceremony, Sir Keir told Merz it was "a privilege" to sign what he described as "a very special treaty" and the first of its kind between the two countries.
Passport gates and travel benefits
The treaty includes several practical measures to strengthen ties between Britain and Germany. Berlin has agreed to allow some arriving UK passengers to use passport e-gates, initially for frequent travellers, with the system due to be in place by the end of August.
The deal also establishes a taskforce aimed at paving the way for direct train services between the countries. Officials hope these services could begin within the next decade, potentially transforming travel links between Britain and Germany.
School exchanges and migration crackdown
According to a translation of the German Chancellor's remarks, the treaty has reached an agreement on school exchange visits. The signing comes as part of a wider visit by Merz as Downing Street looks to boost ties on defence and tackling people smuggling.
Germany committed last year to make facilitating the smuggling of migrants to the UK a criminal offence. Merz is expected to commit to adopting this law change by the end of the year, which Downing Street has described as a "significant step".
International cooperation on smuggling
Asked about the pace of change in Germany, the Prime Minister's official spokesman said people smuggling is "an international issue that requires international solutions". He highlighted Sir Keir's efforts to "reset relationships across Europe" over the past year, including progress with France last week.
The spokesman added that the German law change would give "law enforcement and prosecutors the tools they need to address this scandal of small boats which are destined to cross the Channel being stored and concealed in Germany". After the signing ceremony, both leaders travelled to Downing Street for further discussions.
Merz said he had been "surprised" to learn the agreement was the first UK-Germany treaty since the Second World War. "We had you in the European Union and we thought that was enough," he said, "but we are now learning that it's not enough so we have to do more on that."
(PA/London) Note: This article has been edited with the help of Artificial Intelligence.
