London Sheds Light on Early Resignation of UK Ambassador to EU

The grounds for UK Ambassador to the European Union Ivan Roger's decision to resign early was his willingness to allow a successor to be appointed before the UK invokes Article 50, which is set to be done by the end of March, a UK government spokesperson said Tuesday in a statement obtained by Sputnik.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Earlier in the day, media reported that Rogers announced his resignation without explaining the reasons for his decision.

"Sir Ivan Rogers has resigned a few months early as UK Permanent Representative to the European Union.  Sir Ivan has taken this decision now to enable a successor to be appointed before the UK invokes Article 50 by the end of March. We are grateful for his work and commitment over the last three years," a government spokesperson said.

According to media reports, the ambassador had strained relationship with some members of the new prime ministerial team, especially after Rogers' conversation with Prime Minister Theresa May, during which he said that the Brexit negotiations could last until mid-2020s, leaked.

On June 23, 2016, the United Kingdom held a referendum to determine whether or not the country should leave the European Union. The majority of Britons supported the decision to leave the 28-nation bloc.

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