United States President Joe Biden will set out for an international trip from July 9 to July 13, where he will meet King Charles and British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak ahead of a scheduled NATO summit.
On Sunday, the White House said that the Democratic leader's later trip to Europe would include meetings in Britain, Lithuania, and Finland. Biden will start in London for meetings with the monarchy and the British prime minister.
Joe Biden To Meet King Charles, PM Rishi Sunak
While there, Biden is said to discuss ways to "further strengthen the close relationship between" the two nations. Afterward, the Democrat will continue to Vilnius for a scheduled summit of NATO leaders that will be held on July 11 and July 12. Many expect Russia's ongoing invasion of Ukraine will be a focus of the talks.
Afterward, the United States president will travel to Helsinki, Finland, on July 13 to meet with Nordic leaders to discuss various international issues at hand, as per Reuters.
The meeting with King Charles would be the first of its kind made by a United States president since the former's Coronation was held in May. Buckingham Palace confirmed that the monarchy would meet with the Democratic leader at Windsor Castle on Monday.
Despite Biden not being able to attend King Charles' Coronation, his wife, First Lady Jill Biden, and his granddaughter were able to make the trip. The Bidens were also at Queen Elizabeth's funeral, which was held at Westminster Abbey in September. They then attended a reception hosted by the King for world leaders on the eve of the funeral.
Biden's scheduled visit also follows Sunak's two-day trip to Washington in June, where the two international leaders talked about Ukraine, a post-Brexit economy, and the advantages and disadvantages of Artificial Intelligence in the current generation.
Downing Street also said that the Democratic leader's trip would reflect the strong relationship between the two nations. According to BBC, a No 10 spokesperson added that Prime Minister Sunak was looking forward to Biden's visit to the UK.
International Trip En Route to NATO Summit
The statement added that officials would set out further detail regarding the meeting at a future date. Biden also stopped in Belfast earlier this year to mark the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement, where he briefly met with Sunak.
Biden's short trip follows an announcement by the US and the UK regarding a new partnership, known as the "Atlantic Declaration," that seeks to bolster economic security. The partnership, announced during Sunak's visit to Washington, includes commitments to easing trade barriers, closer defense industry ties, and a data protection deal.
In May, the Democratic president claimed he visited Northern Ireland to ensure that "Brits didn't screw around." It happened during a time when American lawmakers were concerned about the impact of Brexit on the peace process.
During his trip, the US president told the Irish Parliament that he believed the UK should be working more closely with the administration in Dublin to support Northern Ireland, said Sky News.
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