U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter has called British Defense Minister Michael Fallon to reassure his U.K. counterpart that the “special relationship” between the U.S. and Great Britain will not change because of the vote to leave the European Union.

“Secretary Carter emphasized that the United States and the United Kingdom will always enjoy a special relationship, one reflected in our close defense ties which remain a bedrock of U.S. security and foreign policy,” spokesman Peter Cook said Friday.