Prime Minister Andy Burnham will meet German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Thursday to discuss cyber-security threats and sabotage, with deeper cooperation against rising hybrid threats from Russia topping the agenda, Downing Street said.
The visit marks Burnham's first official trip to Germany. The two leaders will formally ratify the 2025 Kensington Treaty, a partnership committing both countries to tackle hostile activity through cooperation on science, technology, defence, security and growth.
Burnham said the UK and Germany were "joining forces to find, expose and disrupt" threats. "Attacks on our infrastructure, our businesses and our democracies are not a distant threat," he said. "They reach into people's homes and workplaces, and they are designed to make us weaker and more divided."
European leaders have warned hybrid attacks by Russia against Europe have intensified in recent weeks. Hybrid warfare describes non-military methods designed to destabilise an adversary, including cyber attacks, sabotage and misinformation. Intelligence services in both countries have issued warnings. Last month Germany accused Russia of launching a drone fitted with explosives at Leipzig/Halle Airport, a major international freight hub used for supporting Ukraine. Moscow has denied involvement. A senior Russian diplomat was subsequently summoned by the British government over what it called an "egregious and reckless attack."
The timing of the talks comes during political turbulence in both countries. Burnham replaced Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer in July after MPs forced out the former leader just two years after a landslide election victory. Merz has faced persistent rumours of replacement by his party owing to poor approval ratings and regional election setbacks, though he has appeared to overcome an immediate leadership crisis.
The visit also follows questions this week about Germany's intelligence reliability. August Hanning, who ran the Federal Intelligence Service from 1998 to 2005, was arrested on suspicion of espionage, treason and obtaining classified information for a foreign power, the German Federal Prosecutor's Office said.
The Berlin talks come days after Burnham told Labour's party conference he wanted to set out options for a closer relationship with the EU later this year, including possibly rejoining the bloc. A German government spokesman said any future referendum would primarily be a question for Britain, but that Berlin supports stronger UK-EU ties. French finance minister Roland Lescure invited Britain to "come all the way" back to the EU in a BBC interview.