April 24 U.S. President Joe Biden will make his first foreign trip in June to the United Kingdom and Brussels for the Group of Seven (G7) summit and NATO summit, the White House announced Wednesday, U.S. media reported.
Biden will travel to the UK from June 11 to 13 for the G7 summit, followed by Brussels on June 14 for a NATO summit.
Biden’s first foreign trip has been postponed because of the new crown, and he will use the opportunity to reaffirm America’s commitment to multilateralism and ease four years of tensions between the Trump administration and its European allies, the report said.
“This visit will underscore Biden’s commitment to restoring our alliances, revitalizing transatlantic relations, and working closely with our allies and multilateral partners to address global challenges and better secure U.S. interests.” White House Press Secretary S. Psaki said in a statement the same day.
According to the White House, Biden will “work to advance key U.S. policy priorities on public health, economic recovery and climate change” at the G7 summit. He will also hold bilateral talks with other G7 leaders, including British Prime Minister Boris Johnson.
The White House said Biden would “confirm U.S. commitment to NATO, transatlantic security, and collective defense” during the next NATO summit. The White House noted that Biden will discuss “how to ensure an effective sharing of military spending.”
Biden will also attend a U.S.-European summit in Brussels.
Former U.S. President Donald Trump visited Saudi Arabia on his first foreign trip, becoming the first U.S. president to travel to the Middle East on his first foreign trip.
Biden has invited Russian President Vladimir Putin to a summit in Europe this summer, but U.S. and Russian officials have yet to make arrangements.
This week, Biden also held a two-day online summit on climate change with leaders from 40 countries. In his first three months in office, Biden held several online bilateral meetings, hosting foreign leaders at the White House for the first time last week and meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Suga.
