British Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced Saturday (05.05.2021) that the UK will assemble a new flagship ship, a true “patriotic flag”, hosting trade events and promoting its interests after Brexit.
This ship will provide a global platform for British companies’ products, as well as for high-level trade negotiations, according to Downing Street. The United Kingdom is seeking to establish new trade relationships after its de facto exit from the European Union at the end of 2020.
It will also play a role in implementing the country’s foreign and security policy, particularly through the holding of summit conferences and diplomatic negotiations.
This will be the first major ship in service since 1997, when the royal yacht Britannia stopped sailing. There is no name for the new ship yet.
However, Johnson made clear and insisted that the role of the new ship would be “different” from that of its predecessors, “reflecting the birth of the United Kingdom as a great (once again) independent maritime trading nation.”
“Every aspect of the ship, from its construction to the companies that will promote it on board, will represent and promote the best of the UK,” he said in a statement, touting “a clear and strong signal of our commitment to being active. Actor on stage. The world.”
Downing Street added that construction of the ship will start in 2022 and take about four years, and he will not be able to determine its cost until the bid is submitted. (afp)
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