US Secretary of State John Kerry has called his new British counterpart Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson on Thursday as the anti-EU minister’s appointment raised hackles in Europe.
New Prime Minister Theresa May appointed the former London mayor head of British foreign policy in her first cabinet after Britain voted to quit the European Union.
One of the leading figures in the Brexit campaign, Johnson was once seen as a possible prime minister himself, but failed to win the support of party colleagues.
Newly appointed Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson addresses staff inside the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in central London on July 14, 2016, as cabinet appointments by new prime minister Theresa May are made on her first full day in office. (AFP/ POOL/Andrew Matthews)
“The secretary and Foreign Secretary Johnson agreed that the US-UK special relationship is as essential as ever,” State Department spokesman John Kirby says.
“They pledged to work closely together as NATO allies to address the full range of challenges we face and to meet our responsibilities around the world,” he adds.
“The secretary stressed US support for a sensible and measured approach to the Brexit process and offered to stay engaged as the UK government develops its plans.”
Johnson is not a popular figure among European foreign ministers. On Thursday, France’s Jean-Marc Ayrault accused him of having “lied a lot” about Europe to British voters.
— AFP
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