Johnson says he looks forward to working with Biden on shared goals

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Saturday he looked forward to working with US President Joe Biden on their shared goals, including tackling climate change.

Johnson used his first phone call with the US president to welcome Biden’s announcements that the United States would rejoin the 2015 Paris Agreement on climate and the World Health Organization, and they discussed the prospects of a free trade deal.

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“Great to speak to President Joe Biden this evening,” Johnson said on Twitter. “I look forward to deepening the longstanding alliance between our two countries as we drive a green and sustainable recovery from Covid-19.”

The White House said Biden and Johnson talked about cooperation, including through multilateral organisations, on curbing climate change and fighting Covid-19.

Biden also conveyed his intention to “strengthen the special relationship between our countries and revitalise transatlantic ties, underscoring the critical role of NATO to our collective defense and shared values,” the White House said in a release.

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A spokesperson for Johnson said the leaders “also discussed the benefits of a potential free trade deal between our two countries.” Britain left the European Union last year. Biden’s call with Johnson was his first with a European leader since taking office.

On Friday, Biden spoke to Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador.