The heads of state and government of Great Britain and Ireland are meeting in Dublin to restructure relations following tensions in the Brexit process.

DUBLIN – British Prime Minister Keir Starmer met with his Irish counterpart on Saturday in what was seen as an attempt to reset relations between the two countries after years of tension following Britain's exit from the European Union.

Starmer's visit to Irish Prime Minister Simon Harris is the first by a British head of state to Ireland in five years. It is another sign that the two countries want to deepen their relations on economic and security issues. Harris was the first international head of state that Starmer received after his Labour Party's overwhelming election victory on July 4.

“Today is really significant because we have made clear our ambition to reset the relationship and today we are moving that forward,” Starmer said after the afternoon meeting with Harris at Farmleigh House in Dublin, the Irish government's official reception building for state visits. “We are clear that we want to hold a summit by March to present the outcome of this meeting and then annual summits after that.”

Relations between the two countries have been strained since Britain voted to leave the European Union in June 2016, particularly given the impact on the political structures of Northern Ireland, which is part of the United Kingdom.

When Britain left the bloc, the British government and the EU agreed to keep the Irish border free of tariffs and other controls, because an open border is a key pillar of the peace process that ended 30 years of violence in Northern Ireland. Starmer's Conservative predecessor Rishi Sunak later renegotiated the original agreement, winning support from both sides of the Northern Irish political divide.

Starmer said there was now a chance to further strengthen relations with both Ireland and the EU. He has stated that under his leadership the UK will not seek rejoining the EU or the frictionless single market and customs union. But he has made clear he wants to renegotiate elements of the post-Brexit trade deal with the EU to boost growth.

“We are also in the process of rebalancing our relationship with the EU and I have made it very clear that I want a closer relationship with the EU,” he said. “That is obviously on security, on defence, but also on trade and reducing friction and any business here in Ireland will tell you that reducing friction helps and that is why we want to rebalancing that relationship.”

Since his election, he has been touring EU capitals in the hope of generating the goodwill needed to make progress on this front and to “act together” on international issues such as the war in Ukraine.

The two leaders attended an economic roundtable in Dublin to discuss how a “reset” of relations can benefit trade. The economic relationship is worth around 120 billion euros ($130 billion) and supports thousands of jobs on both sides of the Irish Sea.

After the early meeting, the two leaders headed to a football match between Ireland and England in Dublin, which gave them a good opportunity for a photo. They swapped shirts, with Starmer holding up an Irish shirt with his surname and Harris an England shirt with his name on it.

“We will have an intense and friendly competition and then renew and realign the session later this evening,” said Harris, who is also new to the office after being elected prime minister in April.

Starmer, a keen football player, laughed when asked if he would wear it to the game later.

“It will feature on my nine-a-side team,” he said. “It will be worn with pride in north London in the not too distant future.”

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Pylas contributed from London.