PM Imran congratulates Boris Johnson on resounding victory, 'looks forward' to working together

Published December 13, 2019
Prime Minister Imran Khan and Boris Johnson take a selfie in the British embassy in Islamabad in 2016, when Johnson was foreign secretary and the former was in the opposition. — PTI Twitter/File
Prime Minister Imran Khan and Boris Johnson take a selfie in the British embassy in Islamabad in 2016, when Johnson was foreign secretary and the former was in the opposition. — PTI Twitter/File

Prime Minister Imran Khan on Friday joined other world leaders in congratulating Conservative Party leader Boris Johnson for his resounding victory in the United Kingdom's general elections.

In a tweet, the prime minister said that he "look(s) forward to working with him and continuing the cooperation" between Pakistan and the UK.

Prime Minister Imran and UK Premier Johnson have enjoyed a friendly relationship since before they were elected into office.

Johnson won an outright majority in the 650-seat parliament after an exit poll showed the Conservatives on course to win a landslide 368 seats — the biggest Conservative national election win since Margaret Thatcher’s 1987 triumph.

A landslide Conservative win marks the ultimate failure of opponents of Britain’s departure from the European Union who plotted to thwart a 2016 referendum vote through legislative combat in parliament and prompted some of the biggest protests in recent British history.

For Johnson, whose 20-week tenure in power has been marked by chaotic scenes in parliament and stark division on the streets over Britain’s tortuous departure from the European Union, victory in Thursday’s contest was vindication.

Other world leaders, including United States President Donald Trump, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and EU Council President Charles Michel, also extended congratulations to Johnson.

"Congratulations to Boris Johnson on his great WIN!," Trump tweeted, adding that the two countries were now free to strike a "massive" new trade deal.

"Congratulations, Boris Johnson, on your resounding victory. I look forward to working with you for the friendship and strong cooperation between our nations," Merkel's spokesman tweeted.

"Congratulations to @BorisJohnson and @Conservatives to the victory in the UK's general election," tweeted Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis. "He is a charismatic leader, we share the same kind of thinking. He received strong mandate to deliver Brexit. I'm sorry that Czech Republic loses strong ally in the EU.”

"Of course we hope every time that political forces that win elections in any country share the ideology of and aim to build good relations with our country. I don't know how appropriate such hopes are in the case of the Conservatives," Russia's Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters.

"We expect, as soon as possible, a vote by the British parliament ... It's important to have clarity," said Michel.

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