US President Joe Biden talks to Boris Johnson about a possible trade deal

Icon: enlarge

Boris Johnson on the phone with Joe Biden

Photo: DOWNING ST / REUTERS

Boris Johnson tweeted it right away.

The UK Prime Minister posted a photo of himself holding the phone and wrote, "Great to speak to President Joe Biden."

Johnson is the first European head of government to speak to the new US President Joe Biden on the phone.

"I'm looking forward to deepening the long-standing alliance between our two countries," the tweet said.

Johnson and Biden had discussed the "benefits of a potential free trade agreement," the NATO alliance and the corona pandemic, Downing Street said.

"The Prime Minister has confirmed his intention to resolve existing trade problems as soon as possible," said the spokesman.

The British Prime Minister had also welcomed the fact that the US was rejoining the Paris Climate Agreement and the World Health Organization under Biden.

The White House later confirmed the conversation and said that Biden had confirmed his will to further strengthen the special relationship with Great Britain and to give new impetus to transatlantic ties.

In addition, Biden has emphasized the importance of NATO as a defense alliance, it said. 

Biden, who has been president since Wednesday, had previously only spoken to his counterparts in neighboring Canada and Mexico.

According to political scientists, the "special relationship" that the USA and Great Britain have always emphasized could be put to the test with the duo Biden and Johnson.

The Briton had always emphasized his close cooperation with Biden's predecessor Donald Trump, but criticized him after the unrest around the Capitol in Washington at the beginning of January.

Biden, on the other hand, had often criticized the Brexit promoted by Johnson during the election campaign and in 2019 described Johnson as a "physical and emotional clone" of the then US President Donald Trump.

Icon: The mirror

kha / dpa / AFP