President Obama, who had urged British voters not to turn their backs on the European Union, said Friday that the US would “respect their decision” to do so and that the “special relationship” across the Atlantic would continue.
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“Prime Minister David Cameron’s decision to step down is understandable”.
Obama said he was sure Britain’s exit from the European Union would be orderly and vowed that Washington would maintain both its “special relationship” with London and close ties to Brussels.
“I’m confident that the United Kingdom is committed to an orderly transition out of the European Union“, said Obama.
The US leader added that the “special relationship” between the Britain and Washington will continue into the future.
US presidential candidate Donald Trump on Friday thrust himself into the heart of the Brexit issue, calling the result of the vote a “great thing” and drawing parallels to his own insurgent campaign. “The UK and other policy makers have the tools necessary to support financial stability, which is key to economic growth”.
But in making his case against the split, Obama had described some stark outcomes.
Obama traveled to London in April to make his case to United Kingdom voters in person.
He had warned that close North Atlantic Treaty Organisation ally Britain would be “in the back of the queue” for a trade deal with the United States if it dropped out of the European Union, but opinion did not swing in favor of the “Remain” campaign.
In Scotland to reopen a golf resort, he praised Britons who he said “took back control of their country”.
Britain’s membership in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization remained “a vital cornerstone of US foreign, security, and economic policy”, Obama said.
Obama’s comments came in a written statement issued by the White House while the president was travelling in California.
He added that “the European Union has done so much to promote stability, stimulate economic growth, and foster the spread of democratic values and ideals across the continent and beyond”.
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“America needs to lead; the world wants America to lead”, Ryan told reporters in the Capitol.
