Burnham to hold security talks with German chancellor in Berlin
Downing Street said deeper co-operation in the face of rising hybrid threats from Russia would be high on the agenda during Burnham's first official visit to Germany.
Burnham to hold security talks with German chancellor in Berlin
Prime Minister Andy Burnham will meet his German counterpart Friedrich Merz in Berlin on Friday
Prime Minister Andy Burnham is due to discuss cyber-security threats and sabotage with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Thursday.
Downing Street said stronger cooperation in response to growing hybrid threats from Russia will be a major topic during Burnham’s first official trip to Germany.
Intelligence agencies in both countries have warned about increasing dangers, including last month when Germany accused Russia of sending a drone carrying explosives to Leipzig/Halle Airport.
The Berlin discussions come just days after Burnham told the Labour Party conference that he wanted to outline options for a closer relationship with the EU later this year, including the possibility of eventually rejoining the bloc.
A German government spokesman said any future in-out referendum would mainly be a matter for Britain, but that Berlin backs closer UK-EU ties.
Burnham is expected to receive military honours at the German capital’s Chancellery before his first in-person meeting with the chancellor.
On Thursday, the two leaders will formally approve the 2025 Kensington Treaty, a partnership that commits both countries to counter hostile activity through deeper cooperation on science, technology, defence, security and growth.
Ahead of the visit, Burnham said the UK and Germany were "joining forces to find, expose and disrupt" threats.
He added: "Attacks on our infrastructure, our businesses and our democracies are not a distant threat.
"They reach into people's homes and workplaces, and they are designed to make us weaker and more divided."
The talks take place at a time when Merz’s own political future has come under close scrutiny.
Burnham replaced Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer in July after the former leader was forced out by his own MPs just two years after winning a landslide election victory.
Likewise, Merz has faced repeated speculation that his party could replace him because of his weak approval ratings and after setbacks in regional elections.
Although the chancellor appears to have avoided an immediate leadership crisis, questions remain about his future.
The security discussions also come in a week when doubts have been raised over Germany’s reliability as an intelligence partner, following the dramatic arrest of a former spy chief on suspicion of espionage.
August Hanning has been accused of espionage, treason and obtaining classified information for a foreign power, according to the German Federal Prosecutor's Office.
He led the Federal Intelligence Service (BND) from 1998 to 2005 and has since worked as a private consultant.