MOSCOW, December 22. /TASS/. UK Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs Boris Johnson has called himself "a committed Russophile." He made this statement at Friday’s press conference after a meeting with his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov.

"I am a Russophile, a committed Russophile," he said.

"I took the trouble before becoming foreign secretary to station my ancestors around the world. And I have them in Germany, in France, all over the place, (in) America, and of course here in Moscow as well. And I believe - I’m certain that I’m the first foreign secretary in the history of my office to be called Boris," the diplomat continued.

"So, be in no doubt that I want to see the improvement in the relations between our peoples."