UN to continue to work with 'important partners' UK and EU:Ban

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today said the UN looks forward to continuing to work with both "important partners" the UK and European Union following the Britain's vote to leave the 28-nation bloc.
"At the UN, we look forward to continuing our work with the United Kingdom and the European Union - both important partners," a statement issued by Ban's spokesperson said.
"The Secretary-General expects the European Union to continue to be a solid partner for the United Nations on development and humanitarian issues, as well as peace and security, including migration.
He also expects that the UK will continue to exercise its leadership in many areas, including international development. He very much hopes that this will continue," the statement said.

"When we work together, we are stronger," Ban said in the statement.
It added that the Secretary-General closely followed discussions surrounding the referendum in the UK, and that the vote to leave the EU came at the end of "intensive deliberations and rich discussions" not just in the UK, but across Europe.

"Now, as the UK and other EU Member States embark on the process of charting a way forward, the Secretary-General trusts in Europe's well-proven history of pragmatism and common responsibility in the interest of European citizens," the statement said.
The national referendum, in which the "Leave" side won by 52 per cent to 48 per cent, makes the UK the first country to exit the 28-nation bloc.

The UK is the second largest economy in the EU. British Prime Minister David Cameron said he would resign by October after UK citizens voted to leave the European Union.