US President Donald Trump on Tuesday (local time) held a phone conversation with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson over issues related to trade and tariffs ahead of an upcoming summit of the North Atlantic Treaty Orgsation (NATO) that is scheduled to take place in London next month.
"The two leaders again reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening the Special Relationship through a robust bilateral free trade agreement once the United Kingdom leaves the European Union," the White House said in a statement cited by Xinhua news agency.
Trump, during the phone call, also stressed the need for NATO allies to robustly fund their defences, the statement read.
Meanwhile, Johnson urged the U.S. president to "lift tariffs on goods, including Scotch Whiskey."
He also urged Trump not to impose tariffs on car exports ahead of a U.S. decision on additional tariffs, according to reports by Anadolu Agency.
The Prime Minister at the same time further welcomed the U.S. operation in Syria which led to the death of ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi and stressed over the "ongoing importance" of the fight against the terror outfit.
He said he "looked forward to the NATO Leaders' Meeting next month."
Trump and Johnson also "agreed on the need for burden-sharing and for NATO to prepare for future threats."
Speaking on a British radio show last week, the President said a trade deal between Washington and London would be impossible after Brexit under the withdrawal terms Johnson reached with the European Union.
Trump, who repeatedly complained about NATO allies' free-riding on the U.S. military, is expected to visit London early December to attend the NATO Leaders' Meeting.
( With inputs from ANI )