Brussels, 27/06/2016 (Agence Europe) - On Monday 27 June, US Secretary of State John Kerry called on Europeans to stay calm and to defend their common values following the British referendum.
“It is absolutely essential that we stay focused on how in this transitional period, nobody loses their head, nobody goes off half-cock, people don't start moving on scatter-brained or revengeful premises”, he said, at a press conference in Brussels with High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini before he flew to London. “It is now incumbent on leaders to implement the will of the people and to do so in a way that is responsible, sensitive, thoughtful and - I hope - strategic”, he added. He also said the USA will do all it can to make the transition process as sensible and smooth as it can be.
Saying that the US would have liked the British referendum vote to have turned out differently, Kerry stated that the “interests and values” that have united Europeans and Americans for such a long period did not change the day of the British vote. “They are the same the day after the vote as they were before”, he said. “What is important is to stay focused on our interests and (…) our values”, he added.
“The United States wants a strong EU”, he said, underlining the many subjects of EU-US cooperation, including climate change, the fight against terrorism and immigration. He added that the US would also maintain its “special relationship” with the UK.
Saying that this was a difficult time, Mogherini reiterated that the partnership between the EU and US remained “strong and crucial”, not only for the benefit of US and European citizens, but also for peace and stability in the world. “The EU is as strong as before and can be even stronger in the future”, she added. Elsewhere, Mogherini announced that Kerry would attend the Foreign Affairs Council on 18 July, making it clear that the invitation had been issued before the British referendum. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)