At the invitation of Foreign and Commonwealth Minister Boris Johnson, Luxembourg's Minister for Foreign and European Affairs, Jean Asselborn, was in London on Monday, 5 December 2016.
During his visit, Minister Asselborn met, in addition to his counterpart Boris Johnson, the Minister of State for the Exit of the European Union, David Davis, as well as the Deputy Minister in charge of European Affairs and the Americas, Alan Duncan.
The Ministers' discussions focused on the bilateral relations between the Grand Duchy and the United Kingdom, at the political, economic and commercial levels. Minister Asselborn recalled that "the United Kingdom is an important partner with whom we have established close and lasting business relations", explaining that "our relationship is characterised by a high degree of complementarity in different economic fields", as such as the ICT sector, science and research, cybersecurity, and composite materials. Minister Asselborn said he wanted to continue this mutually beneficial long-term cooperation and explore other areas of collaboration, while expressing regret that Britain would leave the EU.
The ministers also discussed the political and economic situation in the United Kingdom following the referendum in favour of Britain's exit from the EU (Brexit). Minister Asselborn recalled that "negotiations, formal or informal, can only begin once Article 50 of the Treaty has been invoked. At this stage, it is up to the UK to decide, because until the UK formally leaves the EU, EU law - with all its rights and obligations Its Member States - will continue to apply to and within the United Kingdom."
Finally, the Ministers examined in depth the main issues of European and international current affairs, focusing in particular on the situation in Turkey and the EU's relationship with Russia. They also discussed in detail the situation in the Middle East, including the latest developments in Syria, Iraq and Libya.
Photo by MAEE (L-R): Minister Jean Assenborn; Minister Boris Johnson
