Getty ImagesU.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken will travel to London on Monday for a two-day visit, during which he will meet with Foreign Secretary David Lamy.
The US State Department said Secretary Blinken would open the so-called “US-UK Strategic Dialogue,” which is understood to be a series of meetings between senior officials that Washington describes as “reaffirming” the “special relationship” between the two countries.
The State Department said Secretary Blinken will “discuss a range of important issues, including our joint efforts to support the Indo-Pacific, the AUKUS partnership, the Middle East, and Ukraine.”
Secretary Blinken is also expected to meet with Prime Minister Keir Starmer during his visit to the UK.
The Foreign Secretary and Secretary Blinken met in July when Prime Minister Keir Starmer visited Washington for the first time to attend the NATO summit.
The State Department said following their meeting, Secretaries Blinken and Ramey “reaffirmed the importance of ensuring that Ukraine has the economic, security, and humanitarian assistance it needs to preserve its sovereignty and territorial integrity.”
The two leaders also discussed “the need for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip to secure the release of hostages and lay the foundation for a sustainable peace.”
Secretary Blinken has been a frequent visitor to Israel. There have been 10 attacks since the Hamas attack on October 7 last year.
After his recent meeting with Benjamin Netanyahu, Secretary Blinken said the Israeli prime minister had accepted Washington’s so-called “bridging offer.” The goal is to resolve the conundrum and bring Israel and Hamas one step closer to an agreement.
enter Expectations are growing that Prime Minister Netanyahu will close the deal.Amid widespread protests in Israel last week.
The White House announced on Friday that the British prime minister would travel to Washington for a second bilateral meeting with President Joe Biden at the White House on Friday, September 13.
The Prime Minister said her first face-to-face meeting with President Biden in July was an opportunity to “recommit” to NATO and the “special relationship” between the UK and the US.
Ahead of next week’s meeting, White House press secretary Carine Jean-Pierre said Mr Starmer and Mr Biden would have “in-depth discussions on a range of global issues of common interest”.
The White House added that “robust support for Ukraine’s defense against Russian aggression” would also be discussed, as would a ceasefire agreement to free the hostages and end the fighting in Gaza.
The White House also said, “President Biden will emphasize the importance of continuing to strengthen the special relationship between the United States and the United Kingdom.”
