London (AFP) – UK finance minister Rachel Reeves advocated Monday for “more normal trading relations” with the European Union, as she became the first British chancellor since Brexit to attend a meeting of eurozone counterparts.
“Today is a milestone moment,” Reeves said as she arrived for the Eurogroup meeting in Brussels. “It’s a chance for Britain to restate our desire to reset our relation with our friends and neighbours within the European Union.” The visit is the latest in the Labour government’s bid to “reset” relations with the EU after years of post-Brexit rancour under previous Conservative governments.
Reeves was pressing to ease trade barriers, give a boost to investment, and help enable businesses to sell in each other’s markets. “It is in our national interest to have more normal trading relations with our nearest neighbours and trading partners,” she said. “Economic growth is not a zero-sum game.”
In October, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer met European Commission President Ursula von de Leyen to discuss strengthening relations. The British leader, who voted in the UK’s 2016 referendum to remain in the EU, has insisted his reset will not mean reversing Brexit and has ruled out a return to the European single market or customs union.
Starmer’s government has pledged to refire the economy and boost growth, including by resetting international relations with the EU and beyond. While Reeves engages in bilateral talks in Brussels, Starmer will be visiting the UAE and Saudi Arabia on Monday to drum up investment from the oil-rich states and push for a free trade deal with the Gulf Cooperation Council.
Reeves’ next international visit will be to Beijing in 2025, according to the Treasury.
© 2024 AFP
