British prime minister visits Ireland, perhaps related to issues such as economic and trade frictions

On September 7 local time, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer arrived in Dublin, the capital of Ireland, to start his visit to Ireland. This is the first visit by a British prime minister in five years.

This visit is of great significance. Downing Street described it as a “historic moment for UK-Ireland relations,” marking a further warming of relations between the two countries after experiencing frictions during the tenure of the previous Conservative government. Starmer met with Irish Prime Minister Simon Harris. The two sides seek to “reset” UK-Ireland relations to resolve issues such as economic and trade frictions with Ireland after the UK's “Brexit.”

During the meeting, the two sides are expected to reaffirm the Belfast Agreement reached in 1998 and reaffirm their commitment to reconciliation on the Northern Ireland issue. Starmer also plans to meet with Irish business leaders to encourage strengthened bilateral trade and investment. At noon on the same day, Harris welcomed Starmer at the state guesthouse in Dublin with “a very warm welcome.” Both sides expressed their hope to “put UK-Ireland relations on a new path.”

It is worth mentioning that Ireland is one of the largest trading partners of the UK. The trade between the two countries is worth about 100 billion euros annually, providing thousands of jobs for both sides.

Before Starmer led the Labour Party to win the British parliamentary election in July, the British Conservative government's “Brexit” process led to strained relations with Ireland and other EU member states. Since Boris Johnson's visit in September 2019, the latter two prime ministers did not set foot in Ireland during their tenures. After Starmer took office, he is committed to reshaping the UK's relations with international partners. Previously, he has said that he will not seek the UK's re-entry into the EU during his tenure, but will do his best to repair the damaged relations with the EU and its member states due to “Brexit.” This visit to Ireland is also part of his efforts. The leaders of the two countries also agreed to maintain top-level contacts in the form of holding annual leadership meetings. The first summit is expected to be held in March next year and will discuss issues such as trade and security cooperation. The international community also remains concerned about the future direction of UK-Ireland relations.