Foreign Min Talks Up EU-UK Relations In Lawmakers Assembly

UK Foreign Minister James Cleverly has talked up the state of relations between the United Kingdom and European Union at the third EU-UK Parliamentary Assembly in Brussels, stating that the two have reached a stage of “close and friendly cooperation”. The Assembly, which brings together members of the UK and European parliaments, is intended to allow lawmakers from the two sides to discuss issues in the post-Brexit relationship.

• Following the agreement reached on the 'Windsor framework', that seeks to resolve issues in the Northern Ireland protocol, relations between Westminster and Brussels have improved. This has been assisted by a less combative stance from the gov't of PM Rishi Sunak compared to his two immediate predecessors Boris Johnson and Liz Truss.
• Cleverly: "Strong relationships and regular contact will help us understand each other, by building a spirit of mutual understanding and mutual confidence that will allow us to think creatively...Now, when we work together, we don’t have to agree on everything, because a mature relationship can deal with differences.”
• Politico highlights that Cleverly did not mention three of the main issues in the EU-UK relationship at present: "Britain’s access to the bloc’s science schemes; the shape of Gibraltar’s relationship with the EU after Brexit; and a looming deadline introducing tariffs on electric car manufacturing". Nevertheless, the more cordial environment could aide the two sides in reaching further agreements, reducing the risk of damaging trade spats.