US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Friday that the United States would keep building “strong” ties with Britain following its departure from the European Union.

Taking to Twitter, Pompeo said, “I am pleased the UK and EU have agreed on a #Brexit deal that honors the will of the British people”.

I am pleased the UK and EU have agreed on a #Brexit deal that honors the will of the British people. We will continue building upon our strong, productive, and prosperous relationship with the UK as they enter this next chapter.

Advertisement

— Secretary Pompeo (@SecPompeo) January 31, 2020

Pompeo further posted, “We will continue building upon our strong, productive, and prosperous relationship with the UK as they enter this next chapter”.

On Wednesday, Pompeo visited London to strengthen ties between the countries, one day before the UK began negotiating its future trade relationship with the European Union.

During a meeting with UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab in London, he said, “The previous administration took the view that if the United Kingdom made this decision they’d be at the back of the line, we intend to put the United Kingdom at the front of the line”.

“This is a historic relationship between our two countries it’s been fantastic and I mean that”, Pompeo added.

On Tuesday, the UK participated in its last meeting as an EU member when Foreign Office minister Chris Pincher attended the General Affairs Council.

The vote was preceded by an emotional debate of the Members of the European Parliament, who bid farewell — sometimes with words of love and warmth — to Britain’s 41-year stay in the world’s largest trading bloc.

On January 23, the House of Commons (lower house of British parliament) overturned five amendments to the government’s Brexit bill made by the House of Lords (upper house), less than 10 days before Britain is set to exit from the European Union (EU).

Pompeo arrived in Kiev on Friday on his trip to Ukraine, the country at the heart of President Donald Trump’s impeachment trial.

Pompeo will meet President Volodymyr Zelensky, who is at the centre of Trump’s historic impeachment trial for abuse of power and obstruction of Congress.

Key to the impeachment scandal is a July 25 telephone call in which Trump pushed Zelensky to announce an investigation of Biden.

Last year, President Trump removed the ambassador to Ukraine, Marie Yovanovitch, and denounced her in the call with Zelensky.

During his visit, Pompeo will also meet Ukraine’s foreign minister and defence minister, the leader of the new independent Ukrainian Orthodox Church Metropolitan Yepifaniy and brief reporters after the talks with Zelensky.

Early Saturday, Pompeo will continue his trip in the region, heading to Belarus, and then to Central Asia’s Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan.