British Prime Minister Andy Burnham and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni have held talks in Dublin on defence, migration and Ukraine, including progress on the next-generation fighter jet Britain is building with Italy and Japan.

The two leaders met on Thursday on the sidelines of the European Political Community summit in the Irish capital. According to the UK government, they discussed the strong partnership between the two countries, “from defence and security to migration, and the importance of working closely together on their common agenda to deliver change for ordinary people”.

GCAP fighter jet on the agenda

Turning to the Global Combat Air Programme, known as GCAP, Burnham set out how the UK was focused on delivering a next-generation fighter jet with Italy and Japan, and welcomed the progress being made both as a trilateral partnership and with other interested partners.

GCAP brings together Britain’s BAE Systems, Italy’s Leonardo and Japan Aircraft Industrial Enhancement, backed by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, to build a sixth-generation combat aircraft and associated systems for introduction around 2035. Italy has said more countries could join the programme to share costs, with Canada named as a possible observer. More countries could still join: German Chancellor Friedrich Merz confirmed in October that Berlin was considering participation after the collapse of its fighter partnership with France, and Burnham said earlier that the UK was open to Germany joining, subject to consultation with Italy and Japan.

Ukraine and closer UK-EU ties

On Ukraine, Burnham welcomed Italy’s steadfast support, and the two leaders discussed how best to address Kyiv’s urgent needs as US-brokered peace talks continue. Meloni has been one of the most vocal European supporters of keeping Europe at the table in any negotiation on Ukraine’s future, writing to European Council President António Costa last week to argue that Europe needs to speak with a single, authoritative voice.

Burnham also used the meeting to outline his vision for a closer long-term relationship between the UK and the EU, telling Meloni that closer ties could deliver practical benefits and cut costs for families at home. The two leaders are due to meet again at the UK-EU summit in Brussels on 20 November, where Burnham hopes to agree deals on food trade, emissions trading and youth mobility.

The leaders said they looked forward to continuing their discussions during the Dublin summit and to building on what the UK government described as an already very positive partnership between the two countries.

Sources: GOV.UK, Britains News, Tribuna.kz.