Boris Johnson: UK should work with EU on migration

Updated
Johnson: 'The United Kingdom Is not Leaving Europe'
Johnson: 'The United Kingdom Is not Leaving Europe'

Britain is seeking a "strong new European partnership" with the remaining 27 members of the EU after Brexit, Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson has said.

Mr Johnson said he wants the UK to continue to work with the EU on issues like migration following its withdrawal.

He was speaking in Vienna after talks with his Austrian counterpart Sebastian Kurz ahead of an informal gathering of EU foreign ministers which they were both attending later in Slovakian capital Bratislava.

"We are not leaving Europe, we are leaving the European Union," said Mr Johnson.

"We do want a strong EU but we also want a strong UK and I think we share a vision for a strong new European partnership between the UK and the EU and ever closer relations between Britain and Austria."

Mr Johnson said that Austria had been affected by the migration crisis of the past few years, adding: "One of the most important points I wanted to make is that we in the United Kingdom are very, very keen to continue to tackle that sort of issue together, whatever our relationship with the EU."

Mr Kurz said: "Our goal must be that we keep strong relations between the UK and the EU and strong relations between the UK and Austria."

The former London mayor revealed he was the "proud possessor" of a cow-bell presented to him by Austrian company Doppelmayr, which manufactured the Emirates Air Line cable car over the Thames.

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