Press release: Foreign Secretary to discuss Brexit with four European allies

The Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt will today begin a three day visit to Finland, Latvia, Denmark and the Netherlands to continue his discussions with European partners on the withdrawal of the UK from the EU.

Mr Hunt will meet the Foreign Ministers of all four countries and outline the UK’s determination to build a new relationship with Europe after Brexit which will offer a bright future that benefits all on our continent.

Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt said:

We share history and values with our partners in Europe and work side-by-side to defend the rules-based international system on which our safety and prosperity depend. I’m delighted to be visiting four close European partners this week to reiterate that these strong ties will not diminish once we leave the EU.

As a continent we face many of the same threats, including terrorism and the destabilising activities of Russia. In Finland, Latvia, Denmark and the Netherlands – we have four partners who stood by us when Russia used a chemical weapon on British soil. All four expelled Russian diplomats in retaliation, and we are forever grateful for their solidarity.

In the negotiations to leave the EU our strategic choice is to build a deep and special partnership with the remaining member states. We want to safeguard our operational capacity as we leave the EU, and so we have put forward precise, credible proposals that ensure our ability to act is maintained.

We are now at the point where the EU also faces strategic choices: with the option to move the negotiations forward and achieve a deal that works in our mutual interests. My simple message is that we need to take that opportunity.

Further information

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