December 10th 2024.
The Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer, may have only been in office for a short five months, but he has certainly been busy with his foreign travels. In just 15 trips, he has visited 13 different countries, including France, the United States, and Germany, which he has visited three times each. It's clear that the PM has been making an effort to establish connections with world leaders and represent the UK on the international stage.
One of the most notable trips was in October, when Sir Keir attended the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Apia, Samoa. The journey there was no small feat, as the PM had to travel nearly around the world, spending just as much time on a plane as he did in the Pacific island nation. Overall, the Prime Minister has clocked in an impressive 75,000 miles on his international travels since taking office on July 5.
But the PM's travels are not just limited to official meetings and conferences. He has also made sure to attend major sporting events, such as the Euro 2024 final and the opening ceremonies of the Olympics and Paralympics. Additionally, he made a quick trip to Azerbaijan for the Cop29 summit. And there's more to come, as the PM is scheduled to fly to Tallinn for a Joint Expeditionary Force summit next week.
Let's take a closer look at the Prime Minister's travels around the globe.
July 9-11: London to Washington and back
Just days after his landslide victory in the general election, Sir Keir made his first appearance on the world stage at the 2024 Nato summit in Washington, DC. He had meetings with Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky and German Chancellor Olof Scholz, making a strong start in establishing relationships with other world leaders. After a couple of days, he returned to London, but not for long.
September 13: London to Washington and back
The PM made the same trip to Washington just a few months later, this time for only one day. His main goal was to persuade US President Joe Biden to allow Ukraine to use missiles to attack targets deep inside Russia. However, the President did not make a final decision until later. After this, Sir Keir traveled to Rome, New York for the UN General Assembly, and Brussels and Berlin.
October 24-26: London to Apia and back, via Canada
The trip to Samoa was the largest chunk of the PM's travels. Photos of him at the Commonwealth meeting show him looking a bit tired, which is understandable considering the long flight that included a stop in Winnipeg for refueling. Despite the quick visit, Sir Keir managed to fit in trips to Budapest, Paris, and Baku before moving on to his next destination.
November 18-19: London to Rio de Janeiro and back
This year's G20 summit was held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, which meant another long flight for the PM. He made history by becoming the first British Prime Minister to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping since 2018. He also had discussions with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Japanese PM Shigeru Ishiba. In the past few days, Sir Keir has also visited the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, and Cyprus, with Estonia on the horizon.
A government spokesperson stated that under this new government, Britain is back and the Prime Minister has wasted no time in addressing important foreign policy issues, such as Russia's aggression in Ukraine and conflicts in the Middle East. The spokesperson also emphasized the importance of national security as the foundation of economic stability and the government's efforts to attract foreign investment and improve relations with other countries for the benefit of the British people.
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