British Prime Minister Keir Starmer arrived in Ireland Saturday to meet his Irish counterpart, in what is being billed as an attempt to reset relations between the two countries after years of tensions following the U.K.'s departure from the European Union.
Starmer's visit to meet Irish premier Simon Harris is the first by a British leader to Ireland in five years. It is a further sign that the two wish to deepen relations, on economic and security matters. Harris was the first international leader Starmer hosted following his Labour Party's landslide election victory on July 4.
"We both said we wish to really place British-Irish relations on a new path and I really appreciate the time that you've given to us since taking office, and I've tried to respond in kind," said Harris after the pair walked around the gardens at Farmleigh House in Dublin, the Irish Government's formal reception house for state visits.
Relations between the two countries have been strained ever since the Brexit vote in June 2016 to leave the European Union, especially in light of how it affected the political structures of Northern Ireland, which is part of the U.K.
When the U.K. left the bloc, the British government and the EU agreed to keep the Irish border free of customs posts and other checks because an open border is a key pillar of the peace process that ended 30 years of violence in Northern Ireland. Since then, Starmer's Conservative predecessor Rishi Sunak renegotiated the initial agreement, and that has won the support of both sides of the Northern Irish political divide.
