28th Jan 2025 06:58
(Alliance News) - Foreign Secretary David Lammy said the UK and US were "working together" to improve the security of people in the two countries after speaking with new Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
Lammy said he spoke to Rubio, the first member of Donald Trump's Cabinet to be confirmed last week, on a range of issues including the Indo-Pacific, Ukraine and the Middle East.
"The UK and US are working together to make all our citizens safer and more prosperous," Lammy said on X.
"I look forward to meeting soon as we further strengthen UK-US ties."
The Foreign Office said in a statement the two men had discussed their shared links to the Caribbean. The foreign secretary has family ties to Guyana and Rubio's family links to Cuba.
"They both welcomed the opportunity for the UK and the US to work together in alignment to address shared challenges, including the situation in the Middle East, Russia's illegal war in Ukraine, the challenges posed by China and the need for Indo-Pacific security," the statement said.
US State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce said the two men had discussed "a range of pressing global issues".
"Both leaders expressed eagerness to begin working together immediately to further our many shared foreign policy objectives," she said.
"They affirmed the depth of the US-UK special relationship and the crucial nature of our partnership in addressing issues like the conflict in the Middle East, Russia's war against Ukraine, and China's malign influence.
"They also heralded joint initiatives, including the AUKUS partnership, which promotes a free and open Indo-Pacific that is secure and stable."
By Rob Freeman, PA
source: PA
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