The Trump administration will pursue a free-trade agreement with Britain as soon as possible after it leaves the European Union, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Wednesday as the country�s new foreign secretary made his first official visit to the United States.

Pompeo also thanked the government of new British Prime Minister Boris Johnson for agreeing to join a U.S.-led maritime security initiative in the Persian Gulf.

Speaking at a news conference with visiting British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab, Pompeo said the Trump administration remains committed to respecting whatever Britain�s final decision on Brexit is and is eager to conclude a trade deal.

�We support the United Kingdom�s sovereign choice, however Brexit ultimately shakes out and we�ll be on the doorstep, pen in hand, ready to sign a new free trade agreement at the earliest possible time,� Pompeo said.

Raab said Johnson and his Cabinet are �absolutely resolved, determined� to leave the EU at the end of October with or without a deal to soften its effects.

He said he hoped to conclude a new trade deal with the U.S. �as soon as possible after we leave the EU on Oct. 31.�

Pompeo lauded Britain for signing onto the U.S.-led maritime security mission to protect international shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. The secretary of state said Britain�s decision to participate �is a victory for meaningful, effective multilateralism.�

The British Defense Ministry announced Monday that Royal Navy vessels will work alongside the U.S. Navy to escort vessels through the busy strait, which has become a flashpoint for tensions between Iran and the West. The U.S. has been asking its allies to take part in a naval mission to protect shipping in the strait, though other European nations have expressed reservations.

Britain has been giving U.K.-flagged vessels a naval escort since Iran�s Revolutionary Guard seized a British oil tanker last month.

(AP)