LONDON (Reuters) – U.S. President Donald Trump and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson agreed on the need for a coordinated international response to the coronavirus pandemic, Downing Street and the White House said in separate statements on Tuesday.
Johnson, who had been hospitalized after contracting COVID-19, the disease caused by the new coronavirus, also told Trump he “is feeling better and on the road to recovery,” according to the White House statement on a telephone exchange between the two leaders.
Trump and Johnson “reaffirmed their close cooperation through the G7 and G20 to reopen global economies and ensure medical care and supplies reach all those in need,” the White House added.
The pair also discussed trade during the conversation.
“The leaders committed to continue working together to strengthen our bilateral relationship, including by signing a free trade agreement as soon as possible,” a Downing Street spokeswoman said.
Britain left the European Union earlier this year and a deal with the United States is a key priority for Johnson’s administration.
(Reporting by Costas Pitas; Editing by Paul Sandle and Bernadette Baum)
