Brexit will not affect NATO summit: US' Kerry

BRUSSELS

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said Monday that the U.K.'s vote to leave the European Union would not have an effect on a NATO summit that will be held next month in Poland.

In a statement before a meeting in Brussels with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, Kerry said he predicted “an even stronger NATO going forward” after the so-called Brexit vote.

“That will not change one iota as a consequence of the vote that has taken place,” Kerry said.

“We have high expectations of a very strong NATO meeting and important deliverables,” he added, referring to upcoming NATO summit on July 8-9 in Warsaw.

U.K. citizens voted to leave the EU in an historic referendum last Thursday, where almost 52 percent of voters rejected their country's 43-year EU membership.

Stoltenberg said cooperation between NATO and the EU has played an important role; however, it will have more importance following Britons’ decision to leave the 28-nation bloc.

“After the U.K. decided to leave the European Union I think that NATO has become even more important as a platform for cooperation between Europe and North America but also defense and security cooperation between European NATO allies,” Stoltenberg said.

At a joint news conference with his U.K. counterpart Philip Hammond later Monday, Kerry urged European leaders not to seek “retribution” following the vote.

“I think it is absolutely essential that we stay focused on how in this transitional period no one loses their head, nobody goes off half-cocked, people don’t start ginning up scatterbrained or revengeful premises,” he said, while encouraging decisions to be made that unify, rather than divide.

“If there is a willingness to cut off your nose to spite your face ... I have a sneaking suspicion that is going to be felt far and wide and I don't that's good for anybody,” he said.

*Anadolu Agency correspondent Emin Avundukluoglu contributed to this report from Ankara and Michael Daventry from London