German Chancellor Angela Merkel has tried to calm the waters following the British vote to leave the European Union.
She called for clear-headed negotiations with the UK without the need for haste.
Angela Merkel played down suggestions that remaining EU states would want to punish the UK for its ‘Brexit’ decision https://t.co/3iv0tHeh7Y— The Telegraph (@Telegraph) June 25, 2016
This contradicted the tone set by German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier who said talks should begin as “soon as possible.”
“I have the feeling that we shouldn’t try to frighten anyone in the separation negotiations. We are sad that the way the vote turned out, but that is no reason to be especially nasty in the negotiations, they must be held in a businesslike manner,” said the chancellor.

“Back to the Core”
The foreign ministers of the EU’s founding states meet in Berlin on Saturday morning. pic.twitter.com/Fg9Gq8nka4— EU Association (@EUUNorg) June 25, 2016
In Berlin the foreign ministers of the six founding members of the European Community Germany,France, Italy, Belgium, Luxembourg and the Netherlands met to discuss the implications of the Brexit vote.
