New British Foreign Secretary makes first visit to EU

(Baonghean.vn) - On July 18, new British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson arrived in Brussels, Belgium to meet for the first time with his EU counterparts with the hope of strengthening relations between the UK and the bloc after Brexit.

New British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson makes his first visit to the EU. Photo: Reuters.

Although Mr Johnson was a vocal advocate of convincing British voters to leave the EU, he said the result of the referendum "does not mean Britain is leaving Europe."

"We will not abandon our important role in the EU," Mr. Johnson said before a meeting with EU foreign ministers. He also said the terrorist attack in Nice on July 15 showed the need for coordination between European countries in the fight against terrorism and called on Türkiye to "show restraint" after the failed coup on July 16.

EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini said "the EU will welcome Mr Johnson as a new member of the family", despite disagreeing with the new British foreign secretary's stance on leaving the EU.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault, who has said Mr Johnson "lies a lot" to turn British public opinion against the EU, said he would speak frankly with his British counterpart and call for a quick start to formal negotiations on Britain's exit from the EU.

Earlier, the British Foreign Office said the plane carrying Mr. Johnson on his first official trip to Brussels on July 17 was forced to make an emergency landing due to a "technical problem."

In an interview with the Telegraph in May 2016, Mr. Johnson said that the EU was trying to build a superstate like the Roman Empire.

He warned that Napoleon, Hitler and many others had tried to do this but all ended tragically, and now the EU was trying to do it using different methods.

Thanh Hien

(According to ABC News)