LONDON, 20 Jul (ANA) - The UK is to relinquish its upcoming six-month presidency of the European Council as it prepares to leave the EU. The announcement from No 10 came as Theresa May prepares to meet her German counterpart Angela Merkel for the first time since becoming prime minister. They will have a working dinner on Wednesday before Mrs May has talks with France's Francois Hollande on Thursday. Mrs May said maintaining strong trading links in Europe was vital to ensuring the UK "made a success" of Brexit. Before the trip, Mrs May will face her first Prime Minister's Questions. She will cross swords with Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn in the House of Commons for the first time at just after midday in what will be the last PMQs before Parliament breaks up for the summer recess on Thursday.

The UK had been scheduled to take up the European Council presidency - which rotates on a six-monthly basis between the 28 EU countries, giving each the opportunity to shape the agenda - in the second half of 2017. Mrs May told European Council President Donald Tusk - in her first conversation with him as PM - it was "the right thing to do given we will be very busy with negotiations to leave the EU", a Downing Street spokesman said.(ANA)

FA/ANA/20 July 2016--------