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Boris Johnson says he has spoken with President-elect Joe Biden and congratulated him on his election victory.
The prime minister said in a tweet: “I look forward to strengthening the partnership between our countries and working with him on our shared priorities, from addressing climate change to promoting democracy and building back better after the pandemic.”
The call took place around 4 p.m. and lasted approximately 25 minutes.
In the wake of Biden’s triumph over Donald Trump, there have been suggestions, dismissed by ministers and Downing Street, that the relationship between Johnson and Biden will not be as close as the one the prime minister enjoyed with Trump.
The president has been a vocal supporter of both Johnson and Brexit, while Biden has been much more tepid.
He has criticized the UK’s plans to nullify parts of the Brexit divorce deal in relation to Northern Ireland if a trade deal with the EU is not reached.
Biden, who has Irish heritage, warned in the run-up to the US elections of the Good Friday Agreement as a “victim” of Brexit.
During the call, the prime minister and president-elect spoke about the importance of implementing Brexit in a way that respects the Good Friday Agreement, and Johnson assured Biden that would be the case.
The law of the internal market was not specifically raised.
Downing Street said in a statement that Johnson had “warmly congratulated” Biden on his victory and “also conveyed his congratulations to Vice President-elect Kamala Harris on his historic achievement.”
Ms. Harris is the first female vice president, as well as the first woman of African American and South Asian descent to land the job.
A spokesperson for Issue 10 added: “They spoke of the close and enduring relationship between our countries and committed to building on this partnership in the coming years, in areas such as trade and security, including through NATO.
“The prime minister and the president-elect also looked forward to working closely on their shared priorities, from addressing climate change to promoting democracy and building back better since the coronavirus pandemic.
“The prime minister invited the president-elect to attend the COP26 climate change summit that the UK is organizing in Glasgow next year.
“They were also hoping to meet in person, even when the UK hosts the G7 Summit in 2021.”
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Irish Prime Minister Micheal Martin has also spoken with the president-elect.
In a message on his Twitter account, Martin said he had a “warm and engaging call with Biden, who” underscored his commitment to the Good Friday Agreement. “
The Irish government said in a statement: “The president-elect reaffirmed his full support for the Good Friday Agreement and they discussed the importance of a Brexit outcome that respects the GFA and guarantees no return from a border on the island of Ireland.”
The call comes after it was revealed that Johnson’s initial message of congratulations to the president-elect preserved traces of Trump’s name.
Congratulations message from Boris Johnson to Joe Biden
Hidden words include a reference to ‘Trump’
By zooming in and altering the brightness and contrast of the image, the outlines of previous words are revealed
On Saturday, the Prime Minister offered his congratulations to Mr. Biden and Ms. Harris in a message on his Twitter account.
However, altering the brightness and contrast of the graphic attached to the tweet has since been found to reveal the outline of what appears to be an earlier statement.
Above the word “Biden” you can see the word “Trump”, while you can also find the outlines of other words.
A government spokesman said: “Unsurprisingly, two statements were prepared in advance on the outcome of this very close election.”
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“A technical error meant that parts of the alternate message were embedded in the background of the graphic.”
Trump has yet to admit defeat in the US presidential election and has repeatedly claimed that he “won” the election.
It has also made unfounded allegations of fraud in the electoral process.
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