PM바카라 사이트檚 remarks at the opening plenary session of the European Political Community: 18 July 2024
Prime Minister Keir Starmer's remarks at the opening plenary session of the European Political Community meeting at Blenheim Palace this morning.
Friends, fellow Europeans바카라 사이트β�
Welcome to Britain바카라 사이트�
And welcome to the splendour of Blenheim Palace.
I hope you enjoyed the weather, the drive, and the architecture of this beautiful place.
Thank you so much for being here.
It is of course the birthplace of Winston Churchill 바카라 사이트�
And we stand for the values that he embodies around the world.聽
Liberty and democracy, yes, of course바카라 사이트�
But also defiance and resolve in their defence.聽
And today, as a new storm gathers over our continent바카라 사이트β�
We choose to meet it in that same spirit바카라 사이트�
And we choose to meet it together.
And that is the choice of the government that I lead. Now two weeks old.
We want to work with all of you바카라 사이트�
To reset relationships바카라 사이트β�
Rediscover our common interest바카라 사이트�
And renew the bonds of trust and friendship바카라 사이트�
That brighten the fabric of European life.聽
And the task is urgent바카라 사이트�
Because our security is on the line.聽
Every day Ukraine fights to protect not just the Ukrainian people바카라 사이트�
But the聽European聽people.聽
A continent where our belief바카라 사이트β�
In freedom, democracy and the rule of law바카라 사이트β�
Was hard-won.聽
And that wants to live in peace.聽
So President Zelenskyy, in your struggle to uphold those values바카라 사이트�
I, we, salute you, once again.聽
Have no doubt: we will stand with you for as long as it takes.
Because I was struck by something that you said in fact during the NATO summit last week.聽
When you said that Ukraine needs more air defence, and then you said used words:聽before the new school year starts.聽
And that really struck me바카라 사이트�
Because returning to school after the summer break바카라 사이트�
That should be a moment of joy and excitement for children.聽
New uniforms, new exercise books, seeing how much their friends have grown over the summer holidays, and reuniting with friends.聽
How could聽anyone聽consider that them a target?聽
So our first task here today바카라 사이트�
Is to confirm our steadfast support for Ukraine바카라 사이트�
To unite once again behind those values that we cherish바카라 사이트�
And to say, we will face down aggression on this continent 바카라 사이트� together.聽
Because the threat from Russia reaches right across Europe.聽
Many of us have seen attacks on our own democracy.聽
People targeted on our streets.
Military planes entering our airspace.聽
Ships patrolling our coastlines.聽
And in Moldova and the Western Balkans바카라 사이트�
The threat is obviously even more acute.聽
So this is the moment for us聽all聽to do more.聽
And I바카라 사이트檓 proud of Britain바카라 사이트檚 role in maintaining European security.聽
Through NATO, through the Joint Expeditionary Force, and more.聽
We stand together.聽
We guard Europe바카라 사이트檚 frontiers.聽
And now we must find new, more ambitious ways of working together바카라 사이트�
Firing up our industries바카라 사이트�
Meeting, not just the military challenge바카라 사이트�.
But the challenge to our economic, cyber and energy security as well.聽
I take a practical view of how the UK can meet this moment.聽
I바카라 사이트檓 not driven by ideology 바카라 사이트� but by what is best for my country.聽
And so we will strengthen our existing relationships바카라 사이트�
And we will build new ones.
This includes resetting our relationship with the EU.
Because I believe that the UK and the EU바카라 사이트�
Working together as sovereign partners바카라 사이트�
Are a powerful force for good across our continent.聽
For peace, for security, for prosperity바카라 사이트�
For all our people.聽
We have shown this I think in the G7바카라 사이트�
Where we are using Russian assets바카라 사이트�
To ensure they pay for the devastation they have brought to Ukraine바카라 사이트�
We바카라 사이트檙e placing unprecedented sanctions on Russia바카라 사이트�
And reducing our collective dependence on Russian oil and gas.
And I think we should take pride in the steps our continent has taken on this.
But now we must see the job through.
We must use this moment바카라 사이트�
To accelerate towards clean energy바카라 사이트�
Support Ukraine to meet its energy needs ahead of winter바카라 사이트�
And tackle the ships that are helping Russia to evade sanctions.
We know what we can achieve together.聽
But it바카라 사이트檚 also time that we bring this resolve to another challenge facing our continent바카라 사이트�
The vile trade of people smuggling.聽
Let바카라 사이트檚 be frank - 바카라 사이트渃hallenge바카라 사이트� - is the wrong word.
It is now, I think, a crisis.聽
As we speak, as we gather here바카라 사이트β�
A criminal empire is at work in every country represented here today.聽
Profiting off human misery and desperation.聽
Prepared to send infants, babies, pregnant mothers바카라 사이트�
Innocent people바카라 사이트�
To their deaths.聽
And last week four more souls바카라 사이트�
And actually, last night another one바카라 사이트�
Were lost in the waters of the English Channel.聽
A chilling reminder of the human cost of this vile trade.
And this summit is an opportunity to set a new path on illegal migration.聽
To transform the way that we work together바카라 사이트�
On border security바카라 사이트�
And law enforcement.
And to say, together: no more.聽
And in the UK our new Border Security Command will work in partnership with you.
We must combine our resources바카라 사이트�
Share intelligence, share tactics바카라 사이트�
Shut down the smuggling routes바카라 사이트�
And smash the gangs.
Before I came into politics, I was the Director of Public Prosecutions in Britain바카라 사이트�
A job I held for five years.
And I saw the work that can be done, across borders바카라 사이트�
On issues like counter terrorism.
Sophisticated gangs working across our borders.
And we used those same techniques to take those gangs down to ensure the safety of citizens across Europe.
And so I for one simply do not accept and will never accept that we can바카라 사이트檛 do the same with the smuggling gangs바카라 사이트�
That somehow, they are the only gangs that can operate across Europe with impunity.聽
I just never will accept that, having been involved myself in the taking down of terrorist gangs.
So we must do more, together.聽
We must also do more to tackle the problem, of course, at source바카라 사이트�
To recognise the root causes바카라 사이트�
We know what they are.
Conflict, climate change, extreme poverty.聽
The crisis we face is the fault of the gangs 바카라 사이트� no question.聽
But the decisions people take to leave their homes cannot be separated from these wider issues.
It is global inequality바카라 사이트β�
And that deserves our attention as well.聽
So let me say something very clearly.
We are resetting our approach here.
This 바카라 사이트 will not commit taxpayer money to gimmicks바카라 사이트β�
We are here to serve our country in the national interest바카라 사이트β�
In pursuit of solutions that will actually deliver results.
And more than that바카라 사이트�
We will approach this issue with humanity바카라 사이트�
And with profound respect for international law.聽
And that바카라 사이트檚 why my government scrapped the unworkable Rwanda scheme on day one.聽
And it바카라 사이트檚 why we will never withdraw from the European Convention on Human Rights.聽
Churchill himself was among the chief architects of the Convention.
It was built on the blood bond of 1945바카라 사이트�
And our shared sacrifice for freedom.
I myself first read about these principles of the Convention and international law in a law library in Leeds, well 40 years ago now.聽
And that inspired me in everything I have done since then바카라 사이트β�
And I still draw strength from it and value from it everyday.
Because they speak about the dignity of every human being바카라 사이트�
And that word 바카라 사이트渄ignity바카라 사이트� is there in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, one of the most important words in it.
Dignity of every human being.
The very essence of what it is to be human.聽
And that is聽our聽legacy바카라 사이트β�
And so the nations of Europe must lead again today.聽
Together we have the opportunity to make the world safer, fairer and more prosperous.聽
So let바카라 사이트檚 use this moment바카라 사이트�
To do more for Ukraine바카라 사이트β犅�
Defend our democracies바카라 사이트β�
Secure our energy supplies바카라 사이트�
And tackle illegal immigration바카라 사이트�
It is a pleasure today, on behalf of my country바카라 사이트�
To extend a hand to all of you.聽
To say that, under my leadership바카라 사이트�
Britain will be a friend and a partner바카라 사이트�.
Ready to work with you.
Not part of the European Union바카라 사이트�
But very much a part of Europe.
Not focused on the differences between us바카라 사이트�
But on the values that we share바카라 사이트�
United by our determination to defend them바카라 사이트�
And certain about what we can achieve together.
And now I바카라 사이트檇 like to invite a true champion of European freedom바카라 사이트β�
바카라 사이트o address the plenary.
Our friend, President Zelenskyy.
Slava Ukraini!