US President urges Merkel to ensure orderly EU exit deal for UK

chika ebuzor

July 9, 2016 3:59 PM

The two candidates to succeed Prime Minister David Cameron have both said they intend to restrict immigration.

U.S. President Barack Obama waves as he walks under a rain on the South Lawn of the White House upon his return to Washington, U.S., after visiting wounded service members the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, June 21, 2016. REUTERS/Yuri Gripas

U.S. President Barack Obama urged German Chancellor Angel Merkel on Saturday to ensure an orderly transition to a close relationship between Britain and the European Union once the UK leaves the EU, a White House official said.

Meeting on the sidelines of a NATO summit in Warsaw, "the President and the Chancellor reaffirmed the need for an orderly process to determine the future relationship between the UK and EU," the official said.

"They agreed that a highly integrated UK-EU relationship is in the best interests of the transatlantic community."

EU leaders have said Britain can only retain full access to their lucrative single market, including for its large financial services sector, if it continues to allow free movement of EU workers and upholds EU rules.

chika ebuzor