The UK and Ireland have “turned a page on the turbulent years” in their relationship and are set on a meaningful partnership, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has said.
He was speaking alongside the Taoiseach (Irish PM) Micheál Martin as part of a UK-Ireland summit in Liverpool.
Sir Keir said the event marked a “new era” between the two governments, which was the “right thing to do…given the global situation”.
While the taoiseach said he appreciated the prime minister’s “proactivity” in resetting relations with the Irish government, after years of difficulties with the Conservatives during Brexit negotiations.
The summit is the first of it’s kind and comes amid the backdrop of growing security concerns among the UK and EU countries about the influence of Russia.
The business roundtable on Thursday morning included industry leaders and businesses across tech, finance, clean energy, manufacturing and construction from the UK and Ireland.
The discussion focused on potential opportunities for growth and investment, and how the UK and Ireland can work together to build an even more resilient and successful trading relationship.
They also discussed how both countries can work closer together on renewable energy, tech, AI and security.
The two leaders are also expected to announce a new data sharing arrangement aimed at increasing the production offshore energy.
As part of the summit, Ireland also announced new investments into the UK worth £185.5 million, which the UK government say could create more than 2,500 jobs across the country.
On Wednesday, Taoiseach Micheál Martin said the UK-Ireland summit marked a “major and significant manifestation” of a reset in relations between the two governments in the post-Brexit era.
He also paid tribute to the prime minister for “his leadership over the last while”.
“He has been effective and impactful, we all want peace – there are too many wars in the world,” he told reporters.
