Germany, Britain close in on summer signing for landmark ‘triangle’ treaty  

BERLIN – Germany and Britain are set to sign a major bilateral friendship treaty as early as next month, according to officials briefed on the plans.

The two governments had announced that they would sign an “unprecedented” large-scale treaty during the inaugural visit to Germany of British Prime Minister Keir Starmer. He had framed this as part of his ‘reset’ with EU countries – a bid to rebuild trade and security ties that were severed by Brexit.

But just when the treaty neared completion, Germany’s government chaos had thrown a spanner into the works. Diplomats decided to halt negotiations when the coalition of then-Chancellor Olaf Scholz collapsed, as German laws effectively required a new government to decide if and when the treaty would be signed.

Talks soon resumed, however, with the inauguration of the new conservative-led government and are now close to completion, a diplomatic official told Euractiv.

“Chancellor Merz has agreed with Prime Minister Starmer that the negotiations on the German-British treaty, that are well advanced under the leadership of the respective foreign ministries, should now be finalised swiftly,” they said.

They added that the necessary German cabinet decision and the signing could follow “soon”.

According to another official briefed on the timing, this could be as early as 17 July. 

German MPs involved in the talks have compared the treaty’s significance to the country's large-scale friendship treaties with France. The two countries are linked by the Élysée Treaty and the Aachen Treaty, which lifted the Franco-German relationship to a new level and established a joint parliamentary assembly.

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Triangular relationship

In addition to the Franco-German treaties, France and Britain are tied by the Lancaster House Agreement, A new German-British treaty would complete the set between the so-called E3 countries.

Schmid had hoped for the document to institutionalise exchanges between the two governments and parliaments and establish closer cultural interlinkages. The British side wanted the agreement to make a practical impact on the lives of ordinary people and reflect Starmer’s focus on growth, according to a UK government source. 

It proved an obstacle, however, that many of the areas with room for concrete improvement were subject to EU competence. The treaty had to leave those untouched, Schmid explained.

The treaty is also expected to include the UK’s first-ever defence cooperation agreement with Germany, the Trinity House Agreement. That document was signed last year, with the German government calling it an “expression of the new British orientation towards Europe.” 

The EU and UK signed their own defence and security pact last month and agreed deal in principle to reduce some barriers in their post-Brexit trading relationship.

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(om jp)