Remarks by President Biden and Prime Minister Rishi Sunak of the United Kingdom Before Bilateral Meeting

Point Loma Naval Base
San Diego, California

2:40 P.M. PDT
 
PRESIDENT BIDEN:  I got a brief statement to talk about my friend here for a second. 
 
First of all, I want to welcome him back to California.  He’s a Stanford man, and he still has a home here in California.  That’s why I’m being very nice to him, maybe he’ll invite me to his home here in California. 
 
But all kidding aside, I think it’s a historic day for our country.  And I think this is going to be a — I think it’s not us but I think the circumstances is going to go down in history as one of those moments that we put together an organization of three nations that is going to help sustain the peace and security in the Indo-Pacific.  And I really believe that.
 
And, you know, there’s no issue of global consequence where the United States and Great Britain aren’t in concert. 
 
We’re going to talk about a lot of things today, including our joint commitment to dealing with the situation in — Russia’s brutal invasion of Ukraine. 
 
And so, we talked about our common vision and values, and try to figure out where we can cooperate even more together.
 
And so, I yield to you, Mr. Prime Minister.
 
PRIME MINISTER SUNAK:  Well, thanks, Mr. President.  It’s great to be back in California, so thank you for having me.  But particularly, to announce, as you described rightly, probably the most consequential multilateral defense partnership since the one that our two countries did some generations ago. 
 
And as we both talked about earlier, never has been — there been a more important time for allies like ours to come together.  You know, we share the same values.  It’s right that we work together, given the security picture around the world.  And that’s what we’ve always done. 
 
We sit next to each other on the Security Council.  We’re two of the biggest spenders in NATO.  And there’s no — no problem that the world has seen that isn’t one that the two of us, working together, have not been able to try and address.
 
So, it’s a great pleasure to be here.  And I look forward to our conversations and also, importantly, to invite you to Northern Ireland, which I — hopefully, you will be able to do and — so we can commemorate the anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement.  I know it’s something that’s very special and personal to you.  We’d love to have you over.
 
PRESIDENT BIDEN:  It is, but it’s worrisome — 25 years.  It seems like yesterday.  Seems like yesterday.
 
But anyway, thank you.
 
Q    Are you going to Northern Ireland, sir?
 
PRESIDENT BIDEN:  It’s my intention to go — to go to Northern Ireland and the republic.
 
Q    Mr. President, given President Xi’s comments about encirclement, are you concerned he may take this agreement as aggression (inaudible)?
 
PRESIDENT BIDEN:  No.
 
Q    No?  Do you plan to speak to him?
 
PRESIDENT BIDEN:  Yes.
 
Q    Sometime soon?  Can you tell us when? 
 
PRESIDENT BIDEN:  No. 
 
2:43 P.M. PDT