British, Dutch leaders agree to work towards new security partnership

By Burak Bir

LONDON (AA) - British Prime Minister Keir Starmer met Thursday with his Dutch counterpart Dick Schoof to discuss European security and bilateral relations.

Starmer held a meeting with Schoof in Downing Street, where they reflected on the UK and the Netherlands’ strong friendship and shared approach to global challenges, the British Prime Minister’s Office said in a statement.

The two leaders spoke about the successes of existing cooperation in tackling organized crime, including people smuggling gangs driving illegal migration.

Mentioning his attendance Monday at an informal European Council meeting in Brussels, Starmer said his ambition is to strengthen cooperation with the European Union for mutual benefit through the UK-EU reset.

Turning to the war in Ukraine, the pair underscored their commitment to working together "so that Ukraine is in the strongest possible position."

Starmer and Schoof also agreed to work towards a new bilateral security partnership led by their top diplomats.

On the subject of energy, the British premier shared details on his plans to "make it easier to build nuclear infrastructure in the UK," as the leaders agreed to work towards a new agreement on sustainable energy, including nuclear.