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Kevin Rudd backed his "friend" Britain and said the EU's reputation as a player on the world stage had been severely damaged by the Brexit vote. The Labour politician said that Prime Minister Theresa May was charting a "sensible course" over activating Article 50 and urged politicians to respect the result of the EU referendum. In an outspoken interview Mr Rudd, who was PM of Australia twice between 2007 and 2013, pointed out that many EU leaders are facing being booted out in elections by increasingly frustrated voters in their own member states. Describing himself as a "friend of the UK" he said that while the challenges Britain will face due to Brexit are significant, the EU faces equally serious consequences from the loss of one of its most powerful and globally influential members.

GETTY Mr Rudd was voted out of office three years ago in Australia

GETTY Mr Rudd was invited to meet Her Majesty the Queen when he was in power

This is a very arduous set of challenges which have been presented to Europe. Kevin Rudd, former Australian Prime Minister

Speaking to BBC Radio 4's Today programme, Mr Rudd said of Brexit: "I'm a friend of the UK, have been throughout my life. "The British people have spoken. "The geo-political consequences, the geo-economic consequences for the world have not been good, let's be blunt about that. "But in terms of what the British PM is now doing, I think that she is charting a sensible course of action to try and find a way through which stabilises this for Britain and stabilises it for the rest of the world.

GETTY Mr Rudd was a fan of the selfie before he left politics

He added: "But I've got to say this is a very arduous set of challenges which have been presented to Europe. "What is at stake here also is Europe's broader significance as a player in the global economic and global security debate - and Britain minus Europe is a problem. "Will this stabilise? Will Theresa May find the way through? I hope so. As a friend of the UK I hope so, but by God she's got her work cut out for her." Mr Rudd's comments came following a string of protests across Europe against the EU, which has even been accused by Italy of engaging in corruption.

GETTY Gordon Brown invited Mr Rudd to dinner at Number 10 to talk about fixing the global economy