Angela Merkel's final UK visit as German Chancellor |

German Chancellor Angela Merkel said she will be taking a "step by step" approach to relations with the UK post-Brexit. She discussed the coronavirus pandemic and Northern Ireland with Prime Minister Boris Johnson.
In a press conference after talks, Merkel thanked her British hosts for the "gracious hospitality" extended on her first bilateral visit abroad since the pandemic. "Now that Britain has left the European Union it's a good opportunity to open a new chapter in our relationship, to find very practical formats where we can have very close contact," she said. "We would be very happy on the German side to work together on a friendship treaty or a cooperation treaty, which would reflect the whole breadth of relations," she added. However, Angela Merkel has said she will taking a "step by step" approach to the new relationship with the United Kingdom after Brexit. The German leader was also non-committal when asked if UK prime ministers could be invited to European Union summits as an attempt to repair ties in the post-Brexit era. "We will see," said Merkel. Finally, Merkel met Queen Elizabeth II at Windsor Castle in the west of London. "I'm delighted to be here," said Merkel when she was introduced to the British monarch, reviving memories of their moments at the G7 conference in Cornwall which she called the highlight of that trip. The Queen said that it was "very nice" to see the outgoing leader once again. The monarch even invited photographers to "take a picture and make history" as the European political giant bowed out of her UK visit in style.