GovWire

Olaf, meinfreund, it is a real pleasure to be with you again.

You know, we go way back.

Inthe darkest days of the pandemic,I was on the phone a lot with you.

I hugely valued your advice, as I designed our furlough scheme

which took some inspiration from your Kurzarbeit policy.

Weve even bonded over the UKs most famous export to your adopted hometown of Hamburg:whichwas of course the Beatles.

When His Majesty the King was here last year, on his first state visit as the monarch

he spoke in the Bundestag of renewing the special bond of friendship between our countries.

Our partnership is,I believe,a perfect symbol of that.

And at this dangerous moment, the bond between our two nations is stronger than ever.

We meet as war rages on our continent.

And new threats are rising around the world.

Olaf, I want to congratulate you on your leadership

in recognising the Zeitenwende

and you taking your historic decision to increase Germanys defence spending.

We stand here together as the leading defence spenders in Europe

unshakeableNATOallies

and the two largest European military supporters of Ukraine.

Together we will continue to provide unwavering support for our Ukrainian friends as you said for as long as it takes.

We look forward to the Ukraine Recovery Conference here in Berlin in June.

And I know we will continue to work closely together on other global challenges, including putting the Middle East on a better path.

And together, we have acted to meet this moment.

We have taken greater responsibility for our collective security.

And today were going even further

opening a new chapter in the security relationship between our two nations as you heard from Chancellor Scholz.

Weve committed to deliver a new framework for our cooperation on defence

and were delivering an immediate expansion of our industrial cooperation.

Together we are announcing a 3 billion joint endeavour to procure the Boxer artillery system

providing our soldiers with this new cutting-edge capability

and supporting hundreds of German and British jobs.

Because lets be clear, this is a partnership that connects with all aspects of our economy and our society.

We discussed our cooperation in many other areas today

from technology and AI, to irregular immigration, to trade and investment.

And Im delighted to say that we have also secured 8 billion of new investment in Britain, including into our energy sector.

So I very much look forward to deepening our discussions in the coming weeks

through the G7 andNATOsummits

the European Political Community

and maybe when our two football teams meet in Euro 2024!

Because for all our shared values and our shared determination to meet the challenges of this new era

the thing that really unites us,as you say,is our people.

The love that Liverpool has for Jurgen Klopp

or that Munich has for Harry Kane.

Its a reminder of the special bond of friendship that his Majesty has described.

So, as close allies, partners and friends

we will continue to stand side by side to preserve security and prosperity

in the UK, Germany and across this continent.

Thank you.