British Foreign Secretary values Good Relations with New USBritish Foreign Secretary Robin Cook said on Friday that he looked forward to a close relationship with incoming United States President George W. Bush.Cook said that the presidency of Bush, who is scheduled to be inaugurated on Saturday, provides Britain with "the opportunity to renew and deepen the transatlantic friendship" with the U.S., dismissing concern that defense policy differences would drive the two nations apart. "This friendship has united successive presidents and prime ministers and it will unite this government with the new administration," Cook wrote in the Times newspaper. Cook said he looked forward to meeting his new American counterpart, Secretary of State Colin Powell, adding that "Britain and the U.S. will continue to stand together on the great strategic issues of the day." Britain has enjoyed a close relationship with outgoing President Bill Clinton. But there have been fears that it will prove more difficult for the British government to strike up such a close friendship with the new Republican president. Britain's commitment to the planned European rapid reaction force is said to have caused disquiet among some Republicans in Washington. Cook said the issue of the rapid reaction force, by encouraging European members of NATO to increase their defense spending, thus would take some of the burden off US taxpayers. "The fact is that our relationships with America and Europe give Britain a pivotal role in the NATO alliance that guarantees the security of Europe, the US and Britain," Cook wrote. "Europe and America are two key building blocks of the new global order. Britain's national interest lies in acting as the cement that links them," the foreign secretary added. British Foreign Secretary to Meet US CounterpartBritish Foreign Secretary Robin Cook said on Friday that he would visit Washington next month to meet incoming United States Secretary of State Colin Powell.Cook said he looked forward to working with his new U.S. counterpart and other members of president-elect George W. Bush's team. Bush is scheduled to be inaugurated on Saturday in Washington. "Tomorrow a new president takes office in Washington. I congratulate George W. Bush. We are allies who work together at all times, but especially in times of difficulty," Cook said in a statement. "I had an excellent conversation with General Powell (on Thursday), and intend to take up his invitation to visit him in Washington next month," he said, without giving a special date for the visit. Earlier, British Prime Minister Tony Blair has said he expected to go to Washington to see Bush sometime in the next few months, but a date for that trip has not been announced either. Cook, who has tried to promote Britain as a bridge between the United States and Europe, said transatlantic relations were at the core of London's policy. "Our strategic relationship with the United States is at the heart of British foreign policy. It is fundamental to our economies and to our strategic interests," he said. |
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