UK PM seeks to calm EU’s Brexit fears
Theresa May vowed Thursday that Britain will play a full part in the European Union until it leaves, as the bloc’s president promised the prime minister’s first EU summit would be a “nest of doves.”
May will use the meeting in Brussels to update EU counterparts on her plan to start formal exit talks by the end of March, paving the way for Britain to leave the bloc by early 2019.
But as she arrived, she made clear Brexit was not the only issue on the table, calling for a “robust and united” EU response to Russia’s “atrocities” in Syria.
“The UK is leaving the EU but we will continue to play a full role until we leave and we’ll be a strong and dependable partner after we’ve left,” she told reporters.
May was excluded from last month’s summit of 27 leaders in Bratislava, but EU head Donald Tusk played down speculation that the meeting in Brussels would be a frosty affair.
“Some media described her first meeting in the European Council as entering the lion’s den. It’s not true. It’s more like a nest of doves,” he said.
“She’ll be absolutely safe with us. And I hope that she will also realize that the European Union is simply the best company in the world.”