British Prime Minister to Address US Congress
By VOA News
04 March 2009
Prime Minister Gordon Brown at British Embassy in Washington, D.C., 03 Mar 2009
British Prime Minister Gordon Brown will address a joint meeting of the U.S. Congress Wednesday, where he is expected to urge lawmakers to abandon protectionism.
Mr. Brown＇s speech comes a day after the British leader held talks with U.S. President Barack Obama at the White House. The two leaders discussed an international effort to spur the recovery of the global economy from its current severe recession.
The two leaders emphasized the need to reform regulatory structures. Mr. Obama warned against protectionist policies and said the reform process will be neither easy nor quick.
Mr. Brown has called for a "global New Deal" to revive the world economy, urging all nations to agree to inject cash into their economies and work together on international banking reforms and an overhaul of financial institutions.
The talks aimed, in part, at laying the groundwork for the G-20 meeting in London in April, which will involve representatives from the world＇s leading developed and emerging economies.
Mr. Obama said the two leaders also discussed security and foreign policy issues, such as the war in Afghanistan.
Mr. Obama said he expressed gratitude for British support in Afghanistan. He said both Britain and the United States share a "deep interest" in ensuring that Afghanistan and Pakistan are not safe havens for terrorist activity, and that he expects Britain to continue to be the United States＇ strongest partner on that front.
Mr. Brown is the first European leader to meet with Mr. Obama since the president took office in January. Some observers in Britain are concerned the new administration is not committed to the decades-long "special relationship" enjoyed by London and Washington.
Mr. Obama dismissed those concerns as "misguided," saying the U.S. and Britain are sustained by a common language and culture.British Prime Minister Gordon Brown will address a joint meeting of the U.S. Congress Wednesday, and urge lawmakers to rally the rest of the world behind efforts to tackle the global economic crisis.
In excerpts released ahead of the speech, Mr. Brown said the rest of the world wants to work with the United States "now more than ever," and that the benefits of cooperation have never been so "far-reaching."
The prime minister is also expected to stress the global nature of the crisis and call on U.S. lawmakers to resist protectionism.
Mr. Brown will become only the fifth British prime minister to speak to both houses of the U.S. Congress.
His address comes a day after he met with U.S. President Barack Obama on economic issues. Both leaders emphasized the need to reform regulatory structures and renewed their countries＇ commitment to working together.
The White House talks aimed, in part, at laying the groundwork for the G-20 meeting in London in April, which will involve representatives from the world＇s leading developed and emerging economies.
Mr. Brown has called for a "global New Deal" to revive the world economy, urging all nations to agree to inject cash into their economies and work together on international banking reforms and an overhaul of financial institutions.
Mr. Brown is the first European leader to meet with Mr. Obama since the president took office in January.
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