HAMBURG, Germany (Reuters) - German Chancellor Angela Merkel called on Friday for fair and constructive negotiations with Britain over its exit from the European Union, with the aim of retaining a good partnership.

“We will of course need, and want to have Britain as a good partner in the future,” Merkel said in a speech in Hamburg, adding that the Brexit negotiations would be “extremely complex and intense”.

“Britain will in future be less closely connected than until now, including in the economic domain,” she said, adding that it would be important nonetheless to have good ties with Britain on economic, security and defense policy.