G20 Summit 2017: Trump says he still plans to visit London

He said that he and the British PM were at work on 'a very powerful' trade agreement

A day after a closely watched meeting with President Vladimir V Putin of Russia, President Trump on Saturday said he was working with Prime Minister Theresa May of Britain on a date to visit London, after the two held what he called “tremendous talks” on trade.

“Nothing’s easy,” Trump said of the gathering on Saturday as he complimented its host, Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany, who has been toiling to bridge the gap between the United States and other nations, for handling the challenge “so professionally.”

While Trump abhors multilateral trade agreements, he is enthusiastic about the bilateral sort. He said that he and the British prime minister had developed a “very special” relationship and were at work on “a very powerful” trade agreement that could be completed “very, very quickly.”

It is not clear what the president meant about the timing, since the two sides cannot complete such an agreement until after Britain leaves the European Union, in March 2019 at the soonest, most experts say.

Amid speculation about whether Trump would visit London, since Mayor Sadiq Khan has asked him to stay away and there has been concern about huge protests should he appear, the president confirmed he still planned to visit.

“I will be going to London,” he told reporters.

Further details on the timing and circumstances of the visit were not immediately available. The White House and Downing Street had earlier dismissed news reports that Trump was considering a quick visit to Britain on his way back to the United States from the G20 meeting.

© 2017 The New York Times News Service