Watch as Rishi Sunak meets German chancellor Olaf Scholz in Berlin

Watch as German chancellor Olaf Scholz welcomes Rishi Sunak to Berlin before they hold a joint news conference on Wednesday 24 April.

The pair will discuss closer co-operation on security, trade and illegal migration in one-on-one talks.

Ahead of his visit, Mr Sunak said the two countries will open a “new chapter” in their partnership and will announce that the UK and Germany will jointly develop artillery systems.

The prime minister’s first visit to the German capital since entering No 10 comes after he faced pressure to visit senior politicians from one of the UK’s most powerful European allies.

The UK and Germany are closely aligned on matters including support for Ukraine and are the two biggest suppliers of military aid to the country after the US, but have so far opted to co-operate through Nato and G7 forums instead of through strengthening bilateral ties.

Mr Sunak’s stop in Berlin follows his visit to Warsaw, where he promised to raise defence spending to 2.5 per cent of gross domestic product (GDP) by 2030 in the face of threats from an “axis of authoritarian states” including Russia and China.