Britain’s Johnson meets lizard at New Zealand sanctuary

Britain's Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson holds a tuatara lizard during his visit to the Zealandia wildlife santuary in Wellington on July 25, 2017. (AFP)

NEW ZEALAND: British Foreign Minister Boris Johnson said Tuesday that New Zealand could expect to be one of the first nations to ink a trade deal with London once Brexit was finalized.
Johnson, making his first visit to New Zealand, met Prime Minister Bill English for talks that covered trade, international security and Britain’s ties with its former colony.
“These are two countries that really do think on the same lines on so many of the issues that matter to our people and to our electorates,” Johnson told reporters after the meeting.
Johnson said Britain was keen to pursue free trade deals with New Zealand and other nations once its withdrawal from the EU — scheduled for March 2019 — was complete.
He said New Zealand would be “at or near the front of the queue” when Britain was negotiating the post-Brexit pacts.
“If I can make one thing absolutely clear, I’ll say this until I’m blue in the face, Brexit is not, was not, will not be about Britain turning away from the world,” he said.
“On the contrary, it is about wanting to keep great relations with our European friends and partners... (while) rediscovering and intensifying friendships and partnerships around the world.”