U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry called on Britain to maintain the closest possible links with the European Union, Reuters reports.
Kerry's statement in Brussels comes amid the rise of anti-EU populist parties and Britain's vote to exit. Kerry noted that there could be no place for isolationist policies.
"We will not be shy about where our interests lie: We need the strongest possible EU, the strongest possible UK and a highly integrated, collaborative relationship between them," Kerry said in a speech.
"We should never take for granted the good achieved by the unity of Europe," he said, adding that "some people do so too quickly," recalling his youth as the son of a U.S. diplomat growing up in divided Berlin in the 1950s.