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The close relationship between London and Tokyo will put Japan high on Britain’s list for negotiating new bilateral trade deals after it leaves the European Union, Britain’s new ambassador to Japan said Monday.

In an interview Paul Madden said a post-Brexit Britain will seek to forge new trade agreements “where we can perhaps go further than we’ve been able to go in the past.”

“I would see Japan as an important priority for that, given the size of our trade and investment relationship and the size of the Japanese economy,” he said.

While Britain cannot start formal negotiations on free trade deals with third parties while it remains a member of the European Union, Madden, 56, said there have already been “conversations” between Japan and Britain in which “we’ve talked about our aspirations.”