Boris Johnson reveals UK is seeking ‘strong new European partnership’ with remaining EU members post-Brexit as he meets fellow foreign ministers
Cabinet minister said he wants Britain to continue to work with the other nations on issues like migration
BORIS Johnson revealed Britain is seeking a "strong new European partnership" with the remaining 27 members of the EU as he meets with his fellow foreign ministers.
He said he wants the UK to continue to work with the other nations on issues like migration following its withdrawal after the historic vote for Brexit on June 23.
The Foreign Secretary was speaking in Vienna after talks with his Austrian counterpart Sebastian Kurz ahead of the informal gathering of politicians in the Slovakian capital Bratislava.
"We are not leaving Europe, we are leaving the European Union," said Mr Johnson.
"We do want a strong EU but we also want a strong UK and I think we share a vision for a strong new European partnership between the UK and the EU and ever closer relations between Britain and Austria."
Mr Johnson said that Austria had been affected by the migration crisis of the past few years, which has seen more than a million people arrive on the continent.
He added: "One of the most important points I wanted to make is that we in the United Kingdom are very, very keen to continue to tackle that sort of issue together, whatever our relationship with the EU."
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Mr Kurz said: "Our goal must be that we keep strong relations between the UK and the EU and strong relations between the UK and Austria."
The former London mayor revealed he was the "proud possessor" of a cow-bell presented to him by Austrian company Doppelmayr, which manufactured the Emirates Air Line cable car over the Thames.
His words come as a new pro-EU campaign group has called for Britain to retain its membership of the single market after laying out its "ambitious" demands for a post-Brexit UK.
Open Britain has suggested that some curbs on the free movement of people could be negotiated, such as only allowing those with job offers to move to Britain.
But the group, which has taken over from the official Remain campaign Stronger In, says the UK should "mend not end" free movement and that any curbs must be part of a Europe-wide discussion on the future of the system amid mounting criticism.
The report, Stronger With Europe, is the first attempt by the group to sketch out what policies Britain should adopt as it negotiates its exit from the EU.
It comes just days after Prime Minister Theresa May held a Cabinet meeting at Chequers where it was stressed that any Brexit deal must include controls on the number of immigrants coming to Britain.
Highlighting a series of policy areas it is urging the Government to consider, the group stresses that protecting the UK economy must be a top priority and will launch a campaign to highlight the benefits of the single market.
The group, led by former ministers Anna Soubry, Pat McFadden and Norman Lamb, says the UK should be a member of the single market and negotiate a "bespoke UK-EU agreement which prioritises continued elimination of non-tariff barriers and continued influence over regulatory decision-making".