British Prime Minister Theresa May and President-elect Donald Trump are set to meet in the spring, after May’s joint chiefs of staff traveled to the U.S. last month to sit down with Trump’s team.
May first spoke with Trump after his election in November and secured a visit after joint chiefs of staff Nick Timothy and Fiona Hill met with Trump's team, according to Agence France-Presse.
“This was part of a process leading towards the PM’s first visit with President-elect Trump,” a Downing Street spokesman told AFP.
“During the second phone call with President-elect Trump, the prime minister suggested it would be a good idea for key staff from both teams to meet,” the spokesman added. “President-elect Trump agreed this would be useful.”
Trump invited May to visit him “as soon as possible” after he was elected president in November.
“We are pleased to have been able to make that happen and the prime minister looks forward to visiting the new president in the spring,” the spokesman said.
May's predecessor, David Cameron met with President Barack Obama following his electoral victories, according to the India Times.
The announcement of a future meeting between May and Trump comes at a time when the British appear to be trying to develop economic ties with the U.S. in the wake of the U.K. leaving the European Union.
Transport Secretary Chris Grayling told Sky News that he isn’t surprised that Trump and May will meet in the near future.
“You would expect a meeting between the new U.S. president and our prime minister relatively soon after he takes office and that is what is happening,” he said.