A Downing Street spokeswoman said Wednesday that Theresa May had told European Council President Donald Tusk that Britain wanted to give up its six-month presidency in order to prepare for negations to leave the European Union.

"The Prime Minister suggested that the UK should relinquish the rotating Presidency of the Council, currently scheduled for the second half of 2017, noting that we would be prioritizing the negotiations to leave the European Union," the spokeswoman said.

"Donald Tusk welcomed the prime minister's swift decision on this issue which would allow the council to put alternative arrangements in place," she added.

Tusk had indicated following their telephone conversation Tuesday evening that he advocated an "orderly, calm Brexit."

The presidency of the EU Council, which represents the governments of the EU's 28 member states, rotates among those countries every six months. Slovakia currently holds the presidency until December 31. Malta is set to follow. Britain was due to take over from July 1, 2017 until the end of that year. EU ambassadors were due to meet Wednesday to decide who would replace Britain.

Theresa May was due Wednesday to make her first visit abroad since taking over as Prime Minister following the resignation of David Cameron in the wake of the UK's referendum vote to leave the European Union. She is to visit German Chancellor Angela Merkel in Berlin.

se/kms (dpa, AFP)