June 7 (UPI) — British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak will call for the deepening and strengthening of economic and defense ties with the United States during his trip this week to Washington, the British government said.
Sunak will visit the United States on Wednesday and Thursday for meetings with President Joe Biden, congressional lawmakers and business leaders.
During his two-day trip, Sunak is expected to point to increasing national security issues as the reason for the two allies to foster stronger bilateral relations in the arenas of defense and economics.
“If we are to stay one step ahead and ensure the safety and prosperity of our citizens, we need to make sure our cooperation on economic security is as extensive as our cooperation on traditional security,” the British government said Monday in a press release.
He is also expected to encourage work between the two countries aimed at protecting key industries and safeguarding supply chains against threats while moving forward bilateral investments that have been previously announced.
Sunak is scheduled for an official Working Visit to the White House on Thursday. White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said in a statement May 30 that the meeting will “further deepen the close and history partnership” between the two countries.
The meeting comes after the leaders of the United States, Britain and Australia in March signed a trilateral agreement to build a fleet of nuclear-powered submarines to counter Chinese aggression in the pacific.
“As the challenges and threats we face change, we need to build an alliance that also protects our economies,” Sunak said in a statement.
“Just as interoperability between our militaries has given us a battlefield advantage over our adversaries, greater economic interoperability will give us a crucial edge in the decades ahead.”