LONDON: The United Kingdom has granted full diplomatic status to the European Union’s ambassador to the country, in a reversal of policy that settles one of the disputes that have strained relations between the two sides since Brexit.

In a joint statement on Wednesday, British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab and the EU’s top diplomat, Josep Borrell, said they had reached an agreement that was based on goodwill and pragmatism.

Under the “establishment agreement for the EU delegation to the UK, the EU’s ambassador to London will now have a status consistent with those from states around the world. The EU’s staff will also have the same privileges and immunities that other delegations have in the UK”.

The changes bring an end to one of the rows that have soured relations since Britain left the EU early last year. The UK had sought to justify its decision not to grant full diplomatic status to Joo Vale de Almeida, the bloc’s first ambassador to London, on the grounds the EU is not a state even though other countries give it equivalent credentials.

Many thought the UK’s stance was petty and aimed purely at helping Prime Minister Boris Johnson to draw as many concessions as possible from the EU during their post-Brexit discussions last year. Though a trade deal was eventually sealed on Christmas eve, there are many lingering tensions between the UK and the EU.

Published in Dawn, May 6th, 2021