'Productive' first round of trade talks with Australia, says UK

LONDON (Reuters) - British trade minister Liz Truss said on Tuesday the first round of trade talks with Australia was "productive" and had laid the groundwork for a comprehensive deal.

After leaving the European Union in January, Britain is keen to secure trade deals around the world, focusing on countries such as Australia and the United States to try to underline its independence from the world's largest trading bloc.

"Discussions between negotiators were productive and reflected our shared ambition to secure a comprehensive deal to boost trade and investment between our like-minded economies," Truss said in a statement.

"Teams discussed their respective objectives and agreed a forward plan for future talks. Our positive discussions in round one have laid the groundwork for the UK and Australia to achieve high-quality outcomes across the agreement."

(Reporting by Costas Pitas, writing by Elizabeth Piper)