Biden, British PM discuss variety of issues at U.S. visit
WASHINGTON >> President Joe Biden and British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on Thursday reiterated their commitment to help Ukraine repel Russia's ongoing invasion, while agreeing to step up cooperation on clean energy and emerging technologies like artificial intelligence.
The leaders said they came to agreement on a new “Atlantic Declaration” to serve as a framework for bolstering cooperation between the two countries on clean energy transition, development of emerging technologies, and protecting technology that is critical to national security.
The leaders' wide-ranging talks at the White House also covered China, economic security, and more. Biden and Sunak have already had four faceto-face meetings since Sunak became prime minister in October, but the talks in Washington offered the two leaders a chance for their most sustained interaction to date.
“We will put our values front and center,” Biden said as the two leaders sat down for talks in the Oval Office. The president later added at a joint news conference that there was no issue where “our nations are not leading together.”
“We discussed how we can continue to adapt and upgrade our partnership to ensure our countries remain on the cutting edge of a rapidly changing world,” Biden said.
As part of the declaration announced Thursday, the two sides will kick off negotiations on the use of minerals from the U.K. that are critical in the production of electric vehicles that are eligible for U.S. tax credits. The administration has also opened talks with the European Union and forged a deal with Japan that allow certain critical raw materials for EVs to be treated as if they were sourced in the United States.
Allies have raised concerns about incentives in the Inflation Reduction Act favoring the North American auto industry. The legislation — one of Biden's key policy victories — invests some $375 billion to transition the United States to cleaner cars and energy sources.
Sunak reflected on the conversations their predecessors have had over the years and acknowledged that both he and Biden were facing their own daunting moment. The visit to Washington is Sunak's first since becoming Britain's prime minister in October.
“Our economies are seeing perhaps the biggest transformation since the Industrial Revolution as new technologies provide incredible opportunities, but also give our adversaries more tools,” Sunak said.