CNBC Transcript: U.K. Secretary of State Jeremy Hunt Speaks with CNBC's Wilfred Frost Today

The following is the unofficial transcript of a FIRST ON CNBC interview with the new U.K. Secretary of State Jeremy Hunt and CNBC's Wilfred Frost on CNBC's "Squawk Alley" (M-F 11AM - 12PM) today, Thursday, July 12th. Watch video of the interview on CNBC.com here!

JON FORTT: PRESIDENT TRUMP MAKING HIS WAY TO THE U.K. AS PRIME MINISTER MAY FACES A LOSS OF CONFIDENCE AFTER TURMOIL SURROUNDING HER BREXIT POLICY THAT'S LED TO A SERIES OF DEPARTURES. OUR WILFRED FROST JUST SAT DOWN FOR THE FIRST INTERVIEW WITH THE NEW UK FOREIGN SECRETARY JEREMY HUNT. HE ASKED HOW THERESA MAY IS HOLDING UP.

JEREMY HUNT: YOU KNOW, THIS PRIME MINISTER HAS BEEN THROUGH MANY, MANY TOUGH WEEKS. AND PEOPLE ALWAYS UNDERESTIMATE HER RESILIENCE, BUT SHE IS ONE OF THE TOUGHEST, STRONGEST PEOPLE I'VE EVER MET. AND I HAVE TO TELL YOU, I'VE BEEN WITH HER FOR THE LAST COUPLE OF DAYS IN BRUSSELS -- YOU WOULDN'T KNOW SHE'S BEEN THROUGH A TOUGH WEEK AT ALL. SHE'S JUST AMAZING.

WILFRED FROST: SHE INTRODUCED TO YOU PRESIDENT TRUMP AND PRESIDENT TRUMP HAS SAID HE WAS A FRIEND OF YOUR PREDECESSOR BORIS JOHNSON. HOW DID THAT INTRODUCTION GO?

HUNT: IT WENT PRETTY WELL. HE SAID -- HE WAS KIND ENOUGH TO SAY HE HAD HEARD NICE THINGS ABOUT ME, SO I HAD SOMETHING TO LIVE UP TO. BUT IF - BORIS JOHNSON WAS A GREAT PATRIOT AND A GREAT BELIEVER IN WHAT IT IS POSSIBLE FOR BRITAIN TO DO ON THE WORLD STAGE, AND I AM EXACTLY THE SAME. I AM PASSIONATE ABOUT A BRITAIN THAT IS STRONG AND CONFIDENT AND REALLY STANDS FOR THE VALUES THAT BRITAIN AND AMERICA STAND FOR ACROSS THE WORLD: FREEDOM, DEMOCRACY, THE RULE OF LAW. THE KIND OF THINGS THAT HAVE MEANT THAT THAT PERIOD SINCE 1945 THAT YOU AND I HAVE BEEN LUCKY ENOUGH TO GROW UP IN HAS BEEN THE BIGGEST PERIOD IN THE HISTORY OF THE WORLD FOR THE GROWTH OF PEACE, FREEDOM AND DEMOCRACY. AND WE WANT THAT TO CONTINUE.

FROST: NOW DO YOU REGRET THE EXPECTED LEVEL OF PROTEST AGAINST THE PRESIDENT FOR HIS TIME HERE IN THE UNITED KINGDOM? WILL THAT MAKE IT HARDER FOR YOU TO IMPRESS ON HIM THE MESSAGES YOU WANT TO GET ACROSS?

HUNT: NOT AT ALL. BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, WHAT BRINGS BRITAIN AND AMERICA TOGETHER IS THAT WE ARE THE STRONGEST BELIEVERS IN THE WORLD IN DEMOCRACY AND DEMOCRATIC VALUES. AND YES, WE HAVE LOTS OF LEADERS WHO VISIT LONDON FROM COUNTRIES THAT AREN'T DEMOCRACIES AND WE HAVE TO EXPLAIN TO THEM, "YES, WE DO ALLOW THESE PROTESTS. YES, THERE WILL BE PEOPLE WAVING FLAGS THAT YOU DON'T LIKE." BUT WE WON'T HAVE TO EXPLAIN THAT TO PRESIDENT TRUMP BECAUSE HE UNDERSTANDS WHY THAT HAPPENS AND THOSE ARE HIS VALUES AS WELL.

FROST: WHEN RUSSIA -- WHEN THE SKRIPALS WERE POISONED IN THE UNITED KINGDOM, WAS THAT A OUTRIGHT ATTACK BY RUSSIA ON THE UK? AND WHAT MESSAGE WOULD YOU LIKE PRESIDENT TRUMP TO TAKE TO PRESIDENT PUTIN?

HUNT: IT WAS A VERY AGGRESSIVE THING TO DO AND TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE. THESE WERE APPALLING CHEMICALS THAT WERE USED AND WE'VE ALREADY LOST ONE BRITISH LIFE AS A RESULT OF IT. AND THE REACTION FROM THE UNITED STATES WAS EXTREMELY ROBUST. IT WAS EXTREMELY ROBUST ACROSS EUROPE. INDEED ACROSS THE WORLD. AND THAT'S WHY THE SUMMIT THAT PRESIDENT TRUMP IS HAVING WITH PRESIDENT PUTIN NEXT WEEK IS VERY, VERY IMPORTANT AND INDEED, THE UNITED FRONT THAT WE SAW AT NATO AT THE END OF THE SUMMIT, VERY, VERY IMPORTANT. BECAUSE PRESIDENT PUTIN NEEDS TO KNOW THAT THE WEST IS UNITED AND STANDING FOR WHAT WE BELIEVE IN.

FROST: HOW HOPEFUL ARE YOU THAT YOU CAN CONVINCE THE PRESIDENT THAT ONCE THE UK IS OUT OF THE EU TO EXCLUDE YOU FROM THE TARIFFS THAT HE'S CURRENTLY IMPOSING ON THE EUROPEAN UNION?

HUNT: WELL, I'M VERY CONFIDENT WE'LL BE ABLE TO GET TO THAT POSITION BECAUSE WE SHARE SO MANY VALUES WITH THE UNITED STATES. ALONGSIDE THE UNITED STATES, WE HAVE BEEN THE COUNTRY THAT HAS CHAMPIONED FREE TRADE ACROSS THE WORLD MORE THAN ANY. BUT WE DO UNDERSTAND THE PRESIDENT'S VIEW THAT FREE TRADE HAS TO BE FAIR TRADE, AND IT HAS TO BE ON THE BASIS OF DEALS THAT WORK FOR ORDINARY AMERICANS AND SOMETIMES YOU NEED TO RESET THE DIAL. AND SO HE CAN BE VERY CONFIDENT WHEN IT COMES TO THE UNITED KINGDOM, WHAT WE WANT IS FAIR COMPETITION AND BORDERS THAT ARE AS OPEN AS POSSIBLE WHEN IT COMES TO BUYING AND SELLING EACH OTHER'S PRODUCTS.

To post a comment, you must register and login.