In 1939,
President Franklin D Roosevelt offered a toast to King George VI in the White
House. “I am persuaded that the greatest single contribution our two countries
have been enabled to make to civilisation, and to the welfare of peoples
throughout the world,” he said, “is the example we have jointly set by our
manner of conducting relations between our two nations.”
Nearly 80 years
later, the United Kingdom remains a friend and ally to the United States like
no other. Our special relationship was forged as we spilt blood together on the
battlefield. It was fortified as we built and sustained the architecture for
advancing stability and prosperity in Europe, and our democratic values around
the globe.
From the ashes of war, those who came before us had the foresight to
create the international institutions and initiatives to sustain a prosperous
peace: the United Nations and Nato; Bretton Woods, the Marshall Plan, and the
European Union. Their efforts provided a foundation for democracy, open
markets, and the rule of law, while underwriting more than seven decades of
relative peace and prosperity in Europe.
Today, we face
tests to this order – terrorism and aggression; migration and economic
headwinds – challenges that can only be met if the United States and the United
Kingdom can rely on one another, on our special relationship, and on the
partnerships that lead to progress.
During my visit to London, Prime Minister
Cameron and I will take on the full array of these challenges. We must be
resolute and adaptive in our efforts to prevent terrorist attacks against our
people, and to continue the progress we are making to roll back the threat
posed by Islamic State (Isil) until it
is destroyed. We must work to resolve political conflicts in the Middle East –
from Yemen to Syria to Libya – so that there is a prospect for increased
stability.
We must continue to invest in Nato – so that we can meet our
overseas commitments from Afghanistan to the Aegean, and reassure allies who
are rightly concerned about Russian aggression. And we must continue to promote
global growth, so that our young people can achieve greater opportunity and
prosperity.
I realise
that there’s been considerable speculation – and some controversy – about the
timing of my visit. And I confess: I do want to wish Her Majesty a happy birthday in person.
But also I
understand that there’s a spirited campaign under way here. My country is going
through much the same. And ultimately, the question of whether or not the UK
remains a part of the EU is a matter for British voters to decide for yourselves.
That said, when
President Roosevelt toasted to our special relationship that night, he also
remarked that we are friends who have no fear of each other. So I will say,
with the candour of a friend, that the outcome of your decision is a matter of
deep interest to the United States. The tens of thousands of Americans who rest
in Europe’s cemeteries are a silent testament to just how intertwined our
prosperity and security truly are. And the path you choose now will echo in the
prospects of today’s generation of Americans as well.
As citizens of
the United Kingdom take stock of their relationship with the EU, you should be
proud that the EU has helped spread British values and practices – democracy,
the rule of law, open markets – across the continent and to its periphery. The
European Union doesn’t moderate British influence – it magnifies it. A strong
Europe is not a threat to Britain’s global leadership; it enhances Britain’s
global leadership.
The United States sees how your powerful voice in Europe
ensures that Europe takes a strong stance in the world, and keeps the EU open,
outward looking, and closely linked to its allies on the other side of the
Atlantic. So the US and the world need your outsized influence to continue –
including within Europe.
In this
complicated, connected world, the challenges facing the EU – migration,
economic inequality, the threats of terrorism and climate change – are the same
challenges facing the United States and other nations. And in today’s world,
even as we all cherish our sovereignty, the nations who wield their influence
most effectively are the nations that do it through the collective action that
today’s challenges demand.
When we negotiated the
historic deal to verifiably prevent Iran from
developing a nuclear weapon, it was collective action, working together with
the permanent members of the UN Security Council and Germany, that got the job
done. And the EU’s seat at the table magnified the United Kingdom’s voice.
When the
climate agreement in Paris needed a push, it was the European Union, fortified
by the United Kingdom, that ultimately helped make that agreement possible.
When it
comes to creating jobs, trade, and economic growth in line with our values, the
UK has benefited from its membership in the EU – inside a single market that
provides enormous opportunities for the British people. And the Transatlantic
Trade and Investment Partnership with
the EU will advance our values and our interests, and establish the
high-standard, pro-worker rules for trade and commerce in the 21st century
economy.
This kind
of cooperation – from intelligence sharing and counterterrorism to forging
agreements to create jobs and economic growth – will be far more effective if
it extends across Europe. Now is a time for friends and allies to stick
together.
Together,
the United States, the United Kingdom, and the European Union have turned
centuries of war in Europe into decades of peace, and worked as one to make
this world a safer, better place. What a remarkable legacy that is. And what a
remarkable legacy we will leave when, together, we meet the challenges of this
young century as well.
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