§ 30. Sir Roger MoateTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement about steps to strengthen transatlantic co-operation. [6868]
§ Sir Nicholas BonsorThe enhancement of the transatlantic relationship is a top foreign policy objective of the Government. The success of President Clinton's recent visit demonstrates the excellent state of relations between the US and UK.
NATO remains the indispensable cornerstone of western security, and the large north American contributions to the implementation force—IFOR—reflect the strength of the transatlantic link. The recently adopted EU/US political declaration and action plan sets out detailed undertakings for EU/US co-operation in a wide range of areas, including trade liberalisation. Complementary arrangements between the EU and Canada are also being considered.