The Prime Minister welcomed German Chancellor Angela Merkel to Chequers today.
He began by praising Chancellor Merkel for her 16 years of service as Chancellor of Germany. The Prime Minister said the world was more prosperous and secure, and the UK-Germany relationship stronger as a result of her leadership.
The leaders agreed on a number of steps to further enhance our bilateral relationship, including holding annual joint Cabinet meetings, reinforcing cultural links and expanding youth exchanges.
The Prime Minister and Chancellor discussed the fight against the coronavirus pandemic and the need for a global recovery that will enable us to reopen international travel and return as close as possible to normal life.
The Prime Minister outlined the success of the UK's domestic vaccine programme and the leaders agreed on the need to vaccinate the world over the next year. They welcomed progress at the recent G7 Summit in Cornwall to this end.
They discussed the need for countries to take ambitious steps towards cutting carbon emissions ahead of the UK-hosted COP26 Summit and for richer countries to help developing nations boost economic growth in a clean way.
The Prime Minister and Chancellor also covered a number of foreign policy issues, including Russia's malign behaviour and NATO's withdrawal from Afghanistan. They welcomed the Joint Declaration on Foreign Policy signed by the UK and German Foreign Ministers this week, and agreed it would provide a springboard for more bilateral cooperation between the UK and Germany on these issues.
The Prime Minister reiterated the need for a permanent arrangement on the Northern Ireland Protocol that protects the Belfast (Good Friday) Agreement and safeguards Northern Ireland's place in the United Kingdom.
