(Reuters) - British Prime Minister Keir Starmer spoke with U.S. President Donald Trump and has agreed to meet with him soon, the UK government said in a statement on Sunday.

The talks came hours after the US president praised the Prime Minister for having done ‘a very good job thus far’.

Sir Keir Starmer and Donald Trump had a telephone conversation discussing the importance of UK-US ties, joint security efforts, and economic deregulation plans. Trump congratulated Starmer on his brother's passing and expressed respect for the Royal Family.

The talks came hours after Donald Trump gave an unexpectedly warm endorsement of Keir Starmer, saying 'I like him a lot' and he's done 'a very good job thus far'

I may not agree with his philosophy, but I have a very good relationship with him,” Trump says of British prime minister.

Trump said, "I get along with him well. I like him a lot. He's liberal, which is a little bit different from me, but I think he's a very good person and I think he's done a very good job thus far".

US President Donald Trump has said Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has done a "very good job thus far" and that the pair have a "very good relationship". Asked by the BBC on board Air Force One about his relationship with Sir Keir, Trump added that they would be having a call "over the next 24 hours".