London – British Foreign Minister Boris Johnson arrived in Paris on Thursday to meet with his French counterpart Jean-Marc Ayrault only two weeks after the French foreign minister called him a liar over his role in Britain’s vote to leave the EU.

The French Foreign Ministry stated that this is the first trip to France by the British foreign minister which is likely to offer an opportunity to discuss the most important international issues on which they work closely with the United Kingdom, as well as their bilateral relationship, particularly in the areas of defense, counter-terrorism and border control.

Ayrault avoided typical diplomatic compliments after Boris was appointed as foreign secretary and questioned how could someone who has lied to the British people about Brexit be a credible interlocutor.

He said: “During the campaign, you know he told a lot of lies to the British people and now it is him who has his back against the wall. He is up against it to defend his country and also so that the relationship with Europe is clear.”’

Johnson told reporters later he had received “a charming letter” from Ayrault saying how much he looked forward to working together and to deepening Anglo-French cooperation.