THE TRANSATLANTIC MAGAZINE
THE TRANSATLANTIC MAGAZINE
US and UK officials have pledged to continue working together as the annual Atlantic Future Forum began yesterday. This year's event, which finishes today (Wednesday October 21), is taking place on board the HMS Queen Elizabeth aircraft carrier.
The forum addresses a variety of different topics each year, with a focus on how the US and UK can work together to tackle global challenges. Among the subjects addressed this year have been Covid-19, digital threats, space, global competition and climate change.
Discussing the event, UK Defence Secretary, Ben Wallace MP, said that "At this time of global uncertainty and evolving adversaries, it is vital we continue to work together with the United States to strengthen our special alliance. The Atlantic Future Forum offers a space to discuss how our nations’ defence industries can provide a battle-winning edge, while developing our economies through trade and exports. As we come together on our outstanding HMS Queen Elizabeth, we are confident that Global Britain will continue to be the United States’ partner of choice."
The Forum, which was opened yesterday virtually by Prime Minister Boris Johnson, is also being attended by NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, US National Security Advisor Robert O’Brien and Jeremy Fleming of GCHQ.
The government say that the event this year also involves a session with UK Secretary of State for International Trade, Liz Truss, and US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer, to continue discussions on a US-UK Free Trade Agreement.
Today, the event's closing ceremony is also being attended by US Ambassasdor to the UK, Woody Johnson and UK Ambassador to the US, Dame Karen Pierce.
For more information on the event, go to www.gov.uk/government/news/uk-and-us-reaffirm-relationship-at-atlantic-future-forum
