Obama and Cameron Pledge U.S.-U.K. Teamwork on Economy, Security Matters
U.S. President Barack Obama Meets U.K Premier David Cameron
Chris Ratcliffe/Bloomberg
David Cameron, U.K. prime minister and U.S. President Barack Obama as they pose for photographers on the steps of 10 Downing Street in London on May 24, 2011.
David Cameron, U.K. prime minister and U.S. President Barack Obama as they pose for photographers on the steps of 10 Downing Street in London on May 24, 2011. Photographer: Chris Ratcliffe/Bloomberg
Obama and Cameron Pledge Economic, Security Cooperation
Simon Dawson/Bloomberg
The U.S. president was greeted at Buckingham Palace by Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, who will be the hosts for a state dinner tonight.
The U.S. president was greeted at Buckingham Palace by Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, who will be the hosts for a state dinner tonight. Photographer: Simon Dawson/Bloomberg
President Barack Obama and U.K. Prime Minister David Cameron pledged to work together on economic and security matters in a joint article timed to coincide with Obama’s state visit to Britain.
“One area where we need to cooperate is on rebuilding our economies,” Obama and Cameron wrote in the London-based Times.
“What’s at stake now is whether new jobs and businesses take root in our countries or somewhere else.”
Obama yesterday began a six-day European trip that includes an address tomorrow to Britain’s Parliament. He arrived in London after a visit to Ireland that included a speech pledging U.S. support in overcoming an economic slowdown and Europe’s government-debt crisis. The U.S. president was greeted at Buckingham Palace this morning by Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, who will be the hosts for a state dinner tonight.
In the article, Cameron and Obama hinted at separate approaches to deficits and spending while pledging to cooperate to create jobs.
“We are two different countries but our destination must be the same: strong and stable growth, reduced deficits and reform of our financial systems,” they wrote.
Obama has proposed reducing cumulative deficits by $4 trillion over 12 years, a plan his Republican critics say does not cut enough. The plan includes spending cuts on defense and domestic programs and calls for raising taxes on the wealthy. Negotiations with congressional leaders have failed to produce a deal to lower long-term budget shortfalls.
Spending Cuts
Cameron’s administration has embarked on the deepest public spending reductions since World War II. The U.K. government plans to reduce the fiscal deficit to 2.5 percent of gross domestic product by 2015 from 9.6 percent, or 141.1 billion pounds ($227.1 billion), in the year through March 2011.
In conjunction with Obama’s visit, the two leaders will announce the creation of a joint U.S.-British security council, according to an administration official.
Obama and Cameron praised the push for political reforms in the Middle East and North Africa, saying supporting democratic aspirations was necessary to combat the religious extremism of groups like al-Qaeda. U.S. special forces killed the group’s leader, Osama bin Laden, in a raid in Pakistan three weeks ago. They also pledged continued support for the rebel uprising against Libyan leader Muammar Qaddafi.
Critical Missions
“Our efforts against al-Qaeda -- and our mission in Libya -- are critical to the type of world that we want to build,” Obama and Cameron wrote. “Bin Laden’s ideology is one that has failed to take hold. Gaddafi’s reign represents the region’s past.”
The White House will rely on the Joint Strategy Board to help coordinate long-term cooperation on security issues and greater sharing of intelligence, said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss an initiative before it was announced.
The president arrived in London last night after leaving Ireland early to avoid a volcanic ash cloud from Iceland.
To contact the reporter on this story: Hans Nichols in London at hnichols2@bloomberg.net
To contact the editor responsible for this story: Mark Silva at msilva34@bloomberg.net
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