LONDON — Securing a Brexit deal will be vital for European security, British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt said on Monday, ahead of a week of crucial talks.

"This is a crucial week both for the UK and our European partners, Hunt said in a statement ahead of a meeting of European Union foreign ministers in Luxembourg.

"The importance of achieving a Brexit deal that respects the autonomy of the EU and the sovereignty of the UK cannot be overstated," he said.

"And delivering this is vital for our security too because economic relations sit at the heart of all our partnerships including the vital security alliances we have with our friends in Europe."

His statement comes ahead of a week in which British Prime Minister Theresa May will be taking her proposal for a Brexit deal to an EU summit in Brussels.

Before his EU counterparts, "Mr Hunt will argue that the merits of achieving a deal are in our mutual interests, and will reiterate the importance of continued international security co-operation in the face of new and emerging threats on a global scale," the Foreign Office said in a statement.

Hunt hosted eight eastern European counterparts at the foreign secretary’s official country residence in Chevening, southeast of London, on Sunday.

Meanwhile Brexit Secretary Dominic Raab laid the groundwork for Wednesday’s summit by holding talks with the EU’s chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier. — AFP