New Delhi: The prime ministers of the United Kingdom and Italy have agreed to start a new chapter in their relationship, aiming to boost trade, strengthen security, and address illegal migration, a press release stated.
In a joint statement issued after a meeting in Rome, Keir Starmer and Giorgia Meloni said that the UK and Italy would set out a new strategic framework for their bilateral cooperation, building on the existing UK-Italy Memorandum of Understanding. The new measures include setting out an ambition to drive growth in both countries and placing the defense and security of their people at the heart of all their actions.
They also discussed the importance of strengthening European defense industrial resilience, including Italy’s GCAP membership, and the need to cooperate more closely together to address the challenges posed by irregular migration.
“Our trade relationship is flourishing, with bilateral trade flows worth £50 billion. New investment decisions, including the £485 million (€574 million) announced today, will boost jobs and growth and demonstrate our strong trade relationship,” the statement read.
The two countries also pledged to further enhance their cross-border cooperation, including through the UK’s new Border Security Command, to take down criminal organizations that profit from smuggling people, and cooperate on wider criminal justice matters.