French Foreign Minister: UK's Johnson a liar with his back against the wall

Baku. 14 July. REPORT.AZ/ In Boris Johnson, Britain has appointed a liar with his back against the wall as its new foreign secretary at a time when somebody reliable is needed in the role, his French counterpart Jean-Marc Ayrault said on Thursday, Report informs citing the Reuters.

Johnson campaigned successfully for Britons to vote to leave the European Union last month. In France, a founding EU member, he is seen as a key player in the departure and in the setback to European integration it represents.

"I am not at all worried about Boris Johnson, but... during the campaign he lied a lot to the British people and now it is he who has his back against the wall," said Ayrault on Europe 1 radio.

After the vote on June 23, Johnson turned his back on a chance to stand as prime minister in place of Conservative David Cameron, who stepped down having led the campaign to stay.

However, on Wednesday, Cameron's successor, Theresa May, appointed the former mayor of London and one-time journalist as her foreign secretary.