EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy
The question
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the outcomes were of his meeting with the High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President of the European Commission on foreign and security policy.
Answered by Al Carns
On 22 October 2025, the Defence Secretary met in London with the EU’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy for the first foreign and security policy dialogue between the United Kingdom and the EU established under the recently agreed UK-EU Security and Defence Partnership. The Foreign Secretary also held a separate engagement with the High Representative during the visit. Together, these discussions underscored the shared commitment to strengthening defence and security cooperation at this critical moment for Euro-Atlantic Security, particularly in support of Ukraine.
The Defence Secretary and the High Representative’s discussion emphasised the importance of effectively implementing the UK-EU Security and Defence Partnership, including as a means of bolstering NATO. Their talks also covered European defence industrial mechanisms, including the SAFE initiative, EU Defence Readiness 2030, and the use of frozen Russian assets to help ensure Ukraine receives the support it needs in its defence against Russia. They looked ahead to future dialogues as an opportunity to further shared objectives.
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