Now that the formal process of ‘Brexit’ has been completed, attention is turning to the question of how the two principal unions in Europe, the United Kingdom and the European Union, will relate to each other in the future. Will they find a new equilibrium and concentrate on meeting the challenges of the 21st century together, or will we see a continued ordering struggle which might destabilise our continent still further? What can or should the UK do to further the necessary further integration of mainland Europe?

To help us answer these, and other questions, the Centre for Geopolitics is honoured to invite His Excellency Ambassador João Vale de Almeida, who arrived in London to represent the EU a year ago, to share his vision for how the relationship should develop.

Ambassador João Vale de Almeida is a senior European Union diplomat who became the EU Ambassador to the UK in February 2020. He previously served as EU Ambassador to the United Nations from 2015 to 2019.  Ambassador Vale de Almeida previously served as the first EU Ambassador to the United States of America, from 2010 to 2014. In Washington, he focused on the strengthening of EU/US relations and the launching of negotiations for Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP).

Chair: Brendan Simms, Director Centre for Geopolitics