US President Donald Trump has said he expects to reach a "very powerful" trade deal with Britain after it leaves the EU.

He also hailed the "very special relationship" he had forged with Theresa May as the two leaders met for talks on the fringes of the G20 summit in Hamburg, which has seen violent protests outside.

Mr Trump said he expected to reach a post-Brexit trade agreement with the UK "very, very quickly" and that it would be "great" for both countries.

He said: "There is no country that could possibly be closer than our countries.

"We have been working on a trade deal which will be a very, very big deal, a very powerful deal, great for both countries, and I think we will have that done very, very quickly."


PM: I want free trade deals around the world

The President added: "Prime Minister May and I have developed a very special relationship and I think trade will be a very big factor between our two countries."

Mr Trump also said he would "be going to London". Asked when, he replied: "We'll work that out."

Downing Street said that "no date is being announced today".

The President also said he had had a "tremendous meeting" with his Russian counterpart, in his first comments on his talks with Vladimir Putin on Friday, which lasted more than two hours.

However, the talks between Mr Trump and Mrs May did not mention the President's controversial decision to pull out of the international agreement on tackling climate change.

While the Prime Minister has made clear she feels the US should rejoin the Paris Agreement, it "wasn't discussed" during the 50-minute meeting, according to Number 10.

Downing Street said Mr Trump had told the Prime Minister he believed Britain would "thrive" outside the EU.

With no deal being concluded until after the UK has legally left the bloc, currently set for March 2019, the focus is on continuing some of the existing arrangements with the US as a result of Britain's membership of the EU.

These include the open skies agreement that allows any airline to operate flights between the EU and the US and the regulated trade in nuclear materials.

Downing Street has previously said mobile phone roaming and mutual recognition of professional qualifications in the service sector could also be negotiated while the UK remains in the EU.

East meets West: That handshake

The Prime Minister also met Japanese leader Shinzo Abe to discuss trade.

Welcoming the recently signed EU-Japan deal, she said it could "form basis of a bilateral deal" between the UK and Brussels.

On Friday, Chinese President Xi Jinping hailed a "golden era" of relations between his country and the UK and said an increase in investment from China since the Brexit vote highlighted its confidence in Britain.