[1/6] British Prime Minister Rishi Snak speaks during a meeting with US President Joe Biden in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, USA June 8, 2023.Reuters/Evelyn Hochstein
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. President Joe Biden and British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on Thursday agreed to deepen closer economic ties between the two nations to accelerate the transition to clean energy and supply chains of critical minerals. promised to strengthen
Biden told reporters at a joint press conference with Sunak that the two leaders also discussed their “unwavering support for the Ukrainian people,” an opportunity not given to world leaders visiting the White House. said it was something.
Biden and UK Prime Minister unveil the ‘Atlantic Declaration’, which Sunak describes as a first-of-its-kind economic partnership on issues such as protecting artificial intelligence, climate change and technologies that will help shape the future. bottom.
“I think some people are wondering what kind of partner the UK will be after it leaves the EU,” Sunak said. We are as committed to our values as ever, as a reliable ally and as an attractive investment destination as ever. ”
Biden praised the strength of the economic relationship as a “huge source of strength” that underpins the broader relationship between NATO allies. “We discussed how we can continue to adapt and upgrade our partnership to keep our two countries on the cutting edge of a rapidly changing world,” he said.
As they met in the Oval Office, the two leaders shared laughter and a more sober tone about the close ties between the two successive leaders as they previewed talk topics such as AI, Northern Ireland and shared economic and security interests. shared. Including Asia.
The meeting, the fourth in recent months, comes as Western officials seek to ascertain whether Russia is responsible for destroying the Nova Kakhovka Dam, which has displaced thousands and caused significant economic and environmental damage. It was done in the middle of nowhere. Ukraine and Russia have exchanged responsibility for destroying the dam.
Both Biden and Sunak stressed continued support for Ukraine to ensure its long-term security and deter aggression after the war ended.
Sunak said Ukrainian supporters needed to send a strong signal to Russian President Vladimir Putin that the ongoing war would not weaken their support for Kiev.
“We’re not going anywhere. We’re going to stay here as long as we need to,” he said. “And hopefully that will speed up the calculation in his mind that he should withdraw his forces.”
The last time Biden and Sunak met was in Hiroshima, Japan, at the G7 summit last month. The two leaders also met in Belfast in April and San Diego in March at trilateral events marking the defense partnership between the United States, Australia and the United Kingdom.
Sunak said Thursday’s discussions were focused on ensuring the safety of AI and other emerging technologies, he told reporters, adding that the UK will host its first summit on the issue this fall and that international He said he would discuss how AI risks can be mitigated through coordinated actions.
Sunak has pushed for stronger trade ties between the United Kingdom and the United States and is eager to show some progress after the Biden administration has ruled out any immediate prospect of a free trade deal between the two countries after Brexit. was.
Asked about the lack of larger trade deals, Sunak said the “specific and targeted measures” currently being discussed would remove red tape and generate billions of pounds of new investment in the UK. He said it was the right thing to focus on.
Sunak also sought Biden’s endorsement of Defense Minister Ben Wallace as the next NATO secretary general. Biden said it was not yet known when Britain’s NATO leader would take office, adding that NATO members would need to come to an agreement on a future leader.
Reported by Trevor Honeycutt, Andrea Shalal and Rami Ayoub in Washington and Kate Holton in London.Editing: Lincoln Feast, Heather Timmons, Jonathan Ortiz
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