LONDON (AP) — Britain's chief negotiator in the country's divorce from the European Union is rejecting the suggestion that the government has threatened to end security cooperation unless it gets the trade deal it wants.

David Davis told the BBC that Prime Minister Theresa May's letter triggering talks on Britain's departure made clear it wants to continue to work with the EU on a range of issues, including security, for both sides.

Davis says: "We want a deal, and she was making the point that it's bad for both of us if we don't have a deal. Now that, I think, is a perfectly reasonable point to make and not in any sense a threat."

While the reference to security caused concern in Brussels, Davis says senior European leaders responded positively to May's letter.