UK PM May to visit Germany for Brexit talks with Merkel

German Chancellor Angela Merkel (L) and British Prime Minister Theresa May arrive to address a press conference after talks at the chancellery in Berlin on July 20, 2016.

May, who traveled to Berlin one week after replacing David Cameron, said that both she and Merkel are women who want to focus on the job and “get things done”.

Merkel warned that there will be “no formal or informal talks” until the two-year ‘ Article 50 ‘ process has been triggered. But we all have an interest in this matter being carefully prepared, positions being clearly defined and delineated.

Though May and Merkel will sit on opposite sides of the Brexit negotiating table, the British prime minister seems to have found a sympathetic ear, if not an unflinching ally, in the German leader. In London, she had reiterated a pledge to reduce net migration – a key issue in last month’s Brexit referendum – promising to cut it to below 100,000 a year, though appearing to backtrack on a deadline.

Merkel, who welcomed May with full military honours at the chancellery at 5.30 pm (1530 GMT), said the countries’ relationship would remain “close and partner-like”, and that Britain and Germany had shared values and would tackle challenges together.

They discussed the current situation in Turkey, the Nice attacks, as well as the fundamentals of Britain leaving the European Union. Both pastors’ daughters, she and Ms. Merkel find themselves at the center of economic and political turmoil not of their making that prompted a plunge in the pound and has sent shock waves across Europe.

Britain’s Prime Minister Theresa May leaves 10 Downing street for Prime Ministers Questions at the House of Parliament in London on Wednesday.

“Irrespective of the decision that the people in the United Kingdom have taken to leave the European Union, we are linked by very close bonds of friendship and partnership”, Merkel said. May said she would take heed of calls to control free movement, but also aim to negotiate the “right deal and the best deal” over trade.

“All of us will need time to prepare for these negotiations”, she said.

Under critical questioning from German reporters over the appointment of Boris Johnson as Foreign Secretary, May pointedly refused to defend him by name, merely praising “the team” she had appointed to deal with Brexit.

Britain was scheduled to hold the seat in the second half of next year, but May has decided Britain should miss its turn after the recent referendum vote to leave the European Union (EU).

By heading to Germany and then later to France, May is keen to sound out the EU’s two most powerful leaders, Merkel and President Francois Hollande, as, officials expect, the EU’s biggest member states will take a lead in the talks.

“It is in all of our interests for Britain to apply for the exit with a very well-defined negotiating position”, said Merkel, who is expected to play a pivotal role in the talks.

She also stressed that Britain should not be limited by focusing exclusively on its relationship with its European neighbors but should instead look to build ties throughout the world.