UK agrees - finally - to give full recognition to EU ambassador

UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab and High Representative Vice President (HRVP) Josep Borrell (both pictured) met in the margins of the G7 Foreign Ministers Meeting in London today (5 May), where they agreed to give full recognition to the EU ambassador, João Vale de Almeida.

Asked about the decision of the UK to refuse full diplomatic status to the EU Ambassador to the UK and his team in London earlier in the year,  Borrell said that it was not a friendly signal from the UK immediately after leaving the European Union. Borrell pointed out that the EU’s 143 delegations around the world had all - without exception - granted the delegations a status equivalent to that under the Vienna Convention. He said that the EU would not accept that the UK would be the only country in the world that will not give the EU delegation the recognition equivalent to that of a diplomatic mission.

At the time the European External Action Service spokesperson Peter Stano said: “Granting reciprocal treatment based on the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations is standard practice between equal partners and we are confident that we can clear this issue with our friends in London in a satisfactory manner.” 

In a joint statement this evening the EU HRVP and the UK’s foreign minister Dominic Raab, said:

“We are pleased to have reached an agreement together, based on goodwill and pragmatism, on an Establishment Agreement for the EU Delegation to the UK.  The EU Ambassador will have a status consistent with heads of missions of states, including agreement and presentation of the credentials to the Head of State.  EU Delegation staff will have the privileges and immunities needed to function effectively, while allowing for effective administration of justice, and we look forward to moving ahead and tackling global challenges together.”

“We are pleased to have reached an agreement together, based on goodwill and pragmatism, on an Establishment Agreement for the EU Delegation to the UK.  The EU Ambassador will have a status consistent with heads of missions of states, including agreement and presentation of the credentials to the Head of State.  EU Delegation staff will have the privileges and immunities needed to function effectively, while allowing for effective administration of justice, and we look forward to moving ahead and tackling global challenges together.”

The parties also discussed future EU - UK cooperation on foreign and security policy and avenues for stepping up joint work on climate change and climate diplomacy, including ahead of the Glasgow COP26. The Foreign Secretary and the High Representative also exchanged on the Cyprus settlement talks. They stressed the need to build the momentum for a next meeting of the two sides and underlined their full support to the UN efforts in the process.

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