LONDON — The U.K. foreign secretary will urge his EU counterparts to make “strategic choices” to strike a Brexit deal in their mutual interest during a three-day European tour.
Jeremy Hunt was due to meet the Finnish foreign minister in Helsinki on Tuesday. He will also meet his Latvian, Danish and Dutch counterparts during the latest round of Brexit diplomacy.
In quotes released by the Foreign Office on Tuesday, Hunt said the U.K.’s strong ties to its European partners would not diminish when it leaves the European Union.
“We want to safeguard our operational capacity as we leave the EU, and so we have put forward precise, credible proposals that ensure our ability to act is maintained.
“We are now at the point where the EU also faces strategic choices: with the option to move the negotiations forward and achieve a deal that works in our mutual interests. My simple message is that we need to take that opportunity,” he said.
Hunt highlighted the common threat of terrorism and the destabilizing activities of Russia, adding that the U.K. was “forever grateful” for the solidarity of Finland, Latvia, Denmark and the Netherlands in expelling Russian diplomats following the chemical weapons attack on British soil in March.