EU looks forward to working together with new British PM: Tusk

The 27 European Union (EU) members decided to maintain a united front on the issue of Brexit and look forward to working together with the next British Prime Minister, President of the European Council Donald Tusk told a press conference Friday.

"We want to avoid a disorderly Brexit and establish a future relationship that is as close as possible with the UK," said the president.

"We are open for talks when it comes to the Declaration on the future UK-EU relations if the position of the United Kingdom were to evolve," said Tusk, asserting that the Withdrawal Agreement is not open for renegotiation.

He also demanded the EU should be informed on the state of play of planning for a no-deal scenario.

Former British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson and his successor as foreign secretary Jeremy Hunt emerged Thursday night as the two politicians in the final battle to become Britain's next Prime Minister.

They were the winners in the fifth and final vote among 313 Conservative MPs to choose a party leader to succeed Theresa May. The party leader will automatically become the next occupant at 10 Downing Street in July.

The focus next week will be on the 160,000 grassroots Conservative Party members across Britain who will vote on whether Johnson or Hunt should become their new leader.