UK, Germany agree on collective response to oil attack

By Ahmet Gurhan Kartal

LONDON (AA) – British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and German Chancellor Angela Merkel agreed on Tuesday to give a “collective response” to last week’s attacks in Saudi Arabia.

In a phone call, Johnson and Merkel discussed the attacks and “the need to work together, alongside international partners, to agree a collective response,” according to a British government statement.

“On the issue of Iran, they reaffirmed their commitment to a common approach and the importance of avoiding the further escalation of tensions in the region,” it said.

The two leaders also discussed the contentious Brexit issue, with a possibly disastrous no-deal exit looming on Oct. 31.

Johnson reiterated that the U.K. and the EU have “agreed to accelerate efforts to reach a deal without the backstop which the UK Parliament could support, and that we would work with energy and determination to achieve this ahead of Brexit on the 31 October.”

Both leaders will discuss these issues further at the upcoming UN General Assembly in New York, according to the statement.