Before I begin my remarks – a word if I may on what happened in
France this morning.
All our thoughts are with those affected by this unfathomable
attack, including a British child and with their
families.
I’ve been in touch with President Macron.
And we stand ready to offer any assistance that we can.
Mr President, Joe, it’s an honour to be here at the White House
and thank you for your warm welcome.
Not for decades has the relationship between our two nations been
so important.
The values we share – our belief in freedom, democracy, and the
rule of law - have never changed.
They never will.
But what has changed, are the challenges we face.
And standing here together, as our predecessors have done for
generations…
…I feel confident that through the strength of our
relationship…
…we can shape the world once again in our pursuit of liberty,
prosperity, and the possibilities of a new age.
That begins with our highest priority -- national
security.
Last time I was here in the US, we signed AUKUS – the most
significant defence partnership in generations.
Because we recognise that the security of the Atlantic and
Pacific regions are indivisible.
And just a fortnight ago, in Hiroshima, President Biden and I
stood with President Zelenskyy and our G7 allies in a powerful
display of unity.
The UK is proud of our contribution – including providing tanks,
long-range weapons, and training Ukrainian soldiers.
But let no one doubt: US leadership and resources are the
decisive contribution allowing the forces of democracy and
freedom to prevail.
As I said in Congress, and I say again now to President Biden –
and to the American people – thank you.
And just as we collaborate to protect our national security – so
we must increasingly do the same to protect our economic
security, on which our prosperity depends.
Countries like China and Russia are willing to manipulate and
exploit our openness…
…steal our intellectual property, use technology for
authoritarian ends, or withdraw crucial resources, like energy.
They will not succeed.
Today we have agreed the Atlantic Declaration – a new economic
partnership for a new age, of a kind that has never been agreed
before.
Yes, a partnership that protects our citizens.
But more than that, …a test case for the kind of reimagined
alliances President has spoken so eloquently about.
That means new investment.
This week alone, £14bn of new American investment has been
committed into the UK, creating thousands of jobs.
It means stronger supply chains, with a new action plan on clean
energy.
And it means reducing trade barriers in the technologies of the
future.
With a new, secure UK-US Data Bridge – helping tens of thousands
of small businesses.
An agreement to work towards mutual recognition of more
professional qualifications in areas like
engineering...
And we’re launching negotiations on a new Critical Minerals
Agreement.
Once concluded, this will give UK companies stronger access to
the US market.
And we’re building on our extraordinary, shared strengths in
cutting edge future technologies…
…with joint research collaborations in areas like quantum,
semiconductors, and AI.
And our job as leaders is to ensure that this technological
revolution makes us more secure and not less.
Last week, the pioneers of Artificial Intelligence warned us
about the scale of the challenge, as well as the opportunity.
The US and the UK are the world’s foremost democratic AI
powers.
So today, President Biden and I have agreed to work together on
AI safety, including multilaterally.
The UK looks forward to hosting the first global summit on AI
safety, later this year.
So that we can seize the extraordinary possibilities of this new
technological age – and do so, with confidence.
And we are well placed to do so.
I know some people have wondered what kind of partner Britain
would be after we left the EU.
I’d say: judge us by our actions.
We’re as committed to our values as ever, as reliable an ally as
ever, as attractive an investment destination as ever.
But we’re changing, too.
We’re strengthening our relationships not just with old friends
like America and in Europe…
…but with new friends in the Indo-Pacific, too.
And we now have the freedom to regulate the new technologies that
will shape our economic future -- like AI -- more quickly and
flexibly.
That is the future we are creating in Britain – confident, proud,
and free.
Let me close, with a personal reflection.
As Joe mentioned, he and I have seen quite a lot of each other in
recent months. I gather our wives have even started to take
spin classes together.
We were talking earlier about our hometowns.
Joe is very rightly proud of Scranton.
And I was telling him a bit about Southampton in England, where
I’m from.
Not everyone knows this, but it was in a church in Southampton
where…
…in the days before he set sail for these shores…
…that John Winthrop first spoke about his dream of building a
city on a hill.
And that reminds us that the relationship between our two nations
is unlike any other.
Our alliance is so strong because it is not abstract – it is
rooted in our people.
And it’s never been about our history alone, but our ability to
grasp the future.
We share the same beliefs, pursue the same purpose, and act
according to the same ideals.
And that’s why today, as we meet the challenges of our time, we
can depend upon each other with absolute conviction.
When the United States and the United Kingdom stand together, the
world is a safer, better, and more prosperous place.
That’s why ours is the indispensable alliance.
