Boris Johnson has formally invited Joe Biden to Glasgow as the two men spoke for the first time since the Democratic candidate was declared President-elect.
The Prime Minister extended the invitation for the next US president to attend the COP26 climate change summit in the city next November when they talked on Tuesday afternoon.
Johnson is desperate to find common ground with the Democrat politician after being slated as a Trump "clone" while Biden was vice-president to Barack Obama.
Biden, of Irish-American heritage, is also angered by the UK government’s plans to disregard aspects of the UK Withdrawal Agreement that could undermine the Good Friday peace deal.
Finding consensus on climate change is Johnson’s best hope of getting on board with the new US president and the delayed summit brining world leaders to Glasgow in November could be the chance of changing the Presidents mind on Brexit Britain.
The two could see each other in person earlier in the year when the UK hosts the G7 Summit in 2021.
Johnson is understood to have spoken to the former vice-president on a wide range of subjects for around 25 minutes from his Downing Street office.
Downing Street said Johnson “warmly congratulated” Biden on his victory and vice President-elect Kamala Harris on her historic achievement as the first woman of colour to hold the office.
In a tweet, the Prime Minister added: “I look forward to strengthening the partnership between our countries and to working with him on our shared priorities – from tackling climate change, to promoting democracy and building back better from the pandemic.”
The call puts Johnson as one of the first world leaders the president-elect has spoken to since the November 3 election.
Biden also spoke to Germany’s Angela Merkel and French President Emanuel Macron on Tuesday afternoon.
The Irish Government also said Taoiseach Micheal Martin had spoken with Biden by phone on Tuesday afternoon and congratulated him and Kamala Harris on their “remarkable election victory”.
The Biden team has still to release the order of calls to the new President which are are always subject to an diplomatic scrabble by European leaders.
Downing Street said the Prime Minister discussed trade with Biden, as he seeks to negotiate a post-Brexit deal with Washington and Nato, which Donald Trump routinely railed against during his single term as president.
The two men also discussed the recovery from the coronavirus pandemic which Biden has made his number one priority.
