UK seeks “deep security partnership” with EU after Brexit

Recall that the British public narrowly voted to leave the European Union bloc last year. But move to actualise that mandate has been rather slow over what is best described as technicalities surrounding the terms of the divorce. Think: immigration, custom, financial obligation as a beginning.

Anyway, moving forward, the UK government today published a document, that it hopes will nudge negotiation forward, by focusing on what it can bring to the EU in terms of security. An issue that everyone agrees is paramount in these fearful times. The document is the the UK’s government’s government’s sixth “future partnership paper” and is a response to criticisms from the EU that London is not prepared for negotiations to unravel more than 40 years of union, Reuters reports.

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In a nutshell, London says it can contribute military assets to EU operation and may offer to continue exchanging classified information. It reiterated what EU already knows: that Britain has the largest defence and development budgets in Europe so can offer defence and security support to the EU.

“At a time of increased threats and international instability the UK remains unwavering in its commitment to uphold European security,” UK’s Defence Secretary Michael Fallon said in a statement.

According to Reuter, some British have suggested defence cooperation with European nations could be used as leverage in talks. But then it works both ways, Britain gets to benefit as well from security and intelligence – so much for a leverage.

Meanwhile, EU officials say they cannot move on to discuss a future relationship until “sufficient progress” has been made on three priority areas – the rights of expatriates, Britain’s border with EU state Ireland and a financial settlement. Without that movement, British officials say talks may become stalled, particularly on Northern Ireland, arguing that how to deal with the only land border with the EU depends on what kind of future customs deal the two sides will agree.

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