Relationship with Britain is still special says Trump envoy
BRITAIN’S “special relationship” with the US is still “treasured” in Washington under Donald Trump, US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said last night.
The White House envoy – flying in days after the US President cancelled a trip to London scheduled for next month – held talks with Theresa May and Boris Johnson yesterday.
And he used the visit to play down suggestions of cooling relations between Downing Street and the White House.
After his meetings, Mr Tillerson insisted the link between the UK and the US was still viewed as the “special relationship”, adding: “It has been and will be. We treasure this relationship. I treasure Boris’s relationship with me personally. It is always worth saying that the relationship between the US and the UK is absolutely fundamental to our diplomacy but also to our economy.”
President Trump was due to visit London to oversee the official opening of a new US Embassy building.
He triggered surprise by scrapping the visit, saying he did not want to open the building commissioned by his predecessor Barack Obama.
The cancellation followed warnings of anti-Trump demonstrations in London and a spat between Downing Street and the White House about the President retweeting a video posted by the extremist Britain First group.
Mrs May is expected to meet Mr Trump at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, later this week.
But the meeting appeared to be in doubt yesterday after speculation that a political crisis in Washington could scupper the President’s travel plans.
Mr Tillerson discussed foreign policy concerns about Iran, Turkey and Yemen with his hosts yesterday.