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Theresa May and Donald Trump 'affirm special relationship' Donald Trump tells Theresa May: UK is special place
(35 minutes later)
US President-elect Donald Trump has spoken to UK Prime Minister Theresa May and invited her to Washington. US President-elect Donald Trump has invited Theresa May to visit Washington in a phone call in which both stressed the importance of UK/US relations.
Downing Street said that the two also "affirmed" the importance of the "special relationship" in a phone call. Downing Street said Mr Trump had spoken of his warmth and personal connections with the UK while Mrs May congratulated him on his victory.
No 10 said: "He asked her to visit as soon as possible and said it would be a great honour to welcome her." Mr Trump, who mother was Scottish, said the UK was a "very, very special place for me and for our country" No 10 said.
"President-elect Trump... added that the UK is a 'very, very special place for me and for our country'," the Downing Street statement said. The two shared a "desire to strengthen bilateral trade and investment".
The two also spoke of their "desire to strengthen bilateral trade and investment". Mr Trump has contacted a number of world leaders in the wake of his surprise victory in the US presidential race including those of Egypt, Ireland, Mexico, Israel, Turkey, India, Japan and South Korea.
The news came after Chancellor Philip Hammond was asked what it meant for the US/UK "special relationship" that Mr Trump had spoken to other world leaders, including Turkey, Australia, Ireland and South Korea, before the UK's prime minister. There had been questions at a press conference for Chancellor Philip Hammond earlier about what it meant for the UK/US "special relationship" that Mrs May was yet to speak to the new president-elect.
Mr Hammond was asked about the situation at a press conference with Chinese vice premier Ma Kai and appeared not to know Mrs May and Mr Trump had already spoken. But Downing Street confirmed that the two had now spoken and had agreed that "the US-UK relationship was very important and very special and that building on this would be a priority for them both".
"President-elect Trump set out his close and personal connections with, and warmth for, the UK. He said he was confident that the special relationship would go from strength to strength."
'Stood together'
It went on to say that Mrs May had stressed her commitment to expanding the UK's relationships around the world following the Brexit vote and noted Mr Trump's acceptance speech commitment to uniting people across America - something she said all politicians should focus on globally.
"The prime minister said that we have a long history of shared values and added that she looked forward to that continuing in the future.
"She highlighted her wish to strengthen bilateral trade and investment with the US as we leave the EU. But she said that our relationship is so much more than that and our two countries have always stood together as close allies when it counts the most.
"President-elect Trump strongly agreed and added that the UK is a 'very, very special place for me and for our country'."
Mr Trump ended the call by inviting Mrs May to visit him "as soon as possible", Downing Street added.
'Alive and well'
Earlier Chancellor Philip Hammond was asked what it meant for the US/UK "special relationship" that Mr Trump had spoken to other world leaders before the UK's prime minister.
He said: "The special relationship is alive and well and strong and deep... what's special about the special relationship between the UK and the US is that it is not a relationship between any two people or the holders of any two offices, it's a very deep relationship that works at many levels... across our economies, across our defence, security and intelligence structures and at all levels of government and that relationship is working very well and effectively."He said: "The special relationship is alive and well and strong and deep... what's special about the special relationship between the UK and the US is that it is not a relationship between any two people or the holders of any two offices, it's a very deep relationship that works at many levels... across our economies, across our defence, security and intelligence structures and at all levels of government and that relationship is working very well and effectively."
He told journalists: "I can tell you that the prime minister will be speaking to Mr Trump later today. We don't have any urgent business that we need to transact. He appeared not to know Mrs May and Mr Trump had already spoken when he told journalists: "I can tell you that the prime minister will be speaking to Mr Trump later today. We don't have any urgent business that we need to transact.
"Obviously in due course the prime minister will look forward to meeting Mr Trump and once he is inaugurated as president I expect that the very strong and close relationship that always develops between a UK PM and a US president will develop between those two.""Obviously in due course the prime minister will look forward to meeting Mr Trump and once he is inaugurated as president I expect that the very strong and close relationship that always develops between a UK PM and a US president will develop between those two."
Downing Street sources said shortly afterwards that the two had already spoken.