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New Director outlines key foreign policy issues for UK

15 February 2007

In his inaugural lecture as Director of Chatham House, Dr Robin Niblett outlined his thoughts about UK foreign policy in the context of a changed United States, a changed EU and a changing transatlantic relationship.


He concluded that the UK does not have to choose between the US and Europe. The UK does, however, need to remember that there is little value in having a policy where trying to build a bridge is the end rather than the means to an end.


The key points of Dr Niblett's speech include:

- Cooperation between our intelligence services and our surveillance agencies is as valuable as ever today, at a time when international terrorists are targeting both UK and US citizens on a persistent basis.

- US and UK forces are supporting each other in the front lines of Afghanistan where neither side can afford to see the Taliban retake control of some or all of the country.

- Despite persistent frustrations over US defence export controls and US restrictions on the sharing of sensitive defence technologies, UK companies and officials receive privileged access to valuable US defence technologies with which to equip UK forces.

- Nowhere is this level of bilateral defence cooperation closer than in the nuclear field, where the UK benefits directly from US investments in nuclear weapons and submarine technologies to sustain its nuclear deterrent.

- Close US-UK diplomatic cooperation continues to ensure that NATO remains a flexible security organisation capable of training, deploying, and commanding integrated military forces in order to deal with or prevent conflicts that are of direct concern to members of the Alliance.

- UK and US officials continue to share the vision of an open EU that can project stability beyond its current boundaries through further enlargement.

- And both sides, with a few exceptions, also tend to bring a relatively similar outlook towards the promotion of open and transparent markets at a global level, especially through multilateral negotiations.


Notes to editors:

Dr Robin Niblett joined Chatham House as Director in January 2007. Previously he was at the Centre for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, where, in addition to being the deputy to the CEO, he was Director of the Europe Program and Transatlantic Initiative.

Thursday 15 February 2007
The UK and the US in a Changed Transatlantic Relationship
Dr Robin Niblett, Director, Chatham House


ENDS