BERLIN: German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Friday offered Britain’s Boris Johnson close cooperation and friendship, after the Tory leader scooped a decisive general election victory.
“Congratulations, Boris Johnson, for this clear election win. I look forward to our further cooperation towards the friendship and close partnership of our countries,” said Merkel in a statement posted by her spokesman on Twitter.
German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas noted that the UK poll result showed that the British prime minister now “has a clear mandate to bring about Brexit.”
“It is now very possible that an orderly exit will happen at the end of January,” Maas told the Funke newspaper group.
Maas underlined however that Britain could still return to the EU if it wishes to one day.
“The doors of the EU remain obviously open to Britain,” he said.--Reuters