European Union headquarters in Brussels, Belgium. Photo: Carmen Cuesta Roca

24 June 2016 – Following the vote in the United Kingdom to leave the European Union, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said today that the UN looks forward to continuing to work with both “important partners.”

“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 United Kingdom will continue to exercise its leadership in many areas, including international development. He very much hopes that this will continue,” said a statement released by the office of Mr. Ban's spokesperson.

“When we work together, we are stronger,” the statement also said.

In the statement, the Secretary-General said he has 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 United Kingdom 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.

“At the UN, we look forward to continuing our work with the United Kingdom and the European Union – both important partners,” the Secretary-General also said in the statement.

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