Boris Johnson gets backing from US, seeks solution for Syria

The former London mayor, a surprise choice to become Britain’s top diplomat in new Prime Minister Theresa May’s government, made his first overseas engagement on Monday, meeting with European leaders, many of whom were angered by his campaign to take Britain out of the European Union.

Britain’s Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson listens to Spain’s Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Garcia-Margallo (L) during an European Union foreign ministers meeting in Brussels, Belgium, July 18, 2016.

(AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth, pool).

“Most importantly we affirmed the imperative for the United States, Great Britain and the European community to work together to maximise the economic opportunity, minimise the disruption, deal with this in a way that has the wellbeing of the citizens of all of our countries and regions in mind in order to move our economies as fast as possible”.

The event was probably Johnson’s bumpiest ride since his appointment as foreign secretary less than a week ago, although he was booed by a section of the audience after speaking at the French ambassador’s party on Bastille Day.

Mr Johnson replied: “I’m afraid there is such a rich thesaurus now of things that I have said that have been… somehow misconstrued that it would really take me too long to engage in a full global itinerary of apology”.

Since then he has continued to court controversy, for example accusing U.S. President Barack Obama of nurturing an ancestral dislike for the British empire. Kerry will later meet Britain’s new Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson.

He says now he’s focusing on dealing with issues like the unfolding humanitarian crisis in Syria and the troubles in Yemen.

Johnson won a prize in May for a vulgar poem about Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

“We have to give effect to the will of the people and leave the EU”.

Recalling a 28-year career in the Senate and his failed 2004 presidential bid, Kerry said: “I have met everyone in the world like Boris Johnson – or not”.

Asked about the remarks today, Johnson refused to apologise, and sought instead to refocus debate on major foreign affairs challenges. “People are more than welcome to rake over stuff I’ve written over many, many years but I think the most important thing is to get on with the very heavy agenda we have today”, he said.

“Mr Johnson should immediately stop the appalling sale of British-made weapons to Saudi Arabia – which are being used to commit atrocities in Yemen, in violation of worldwide law”.