Forty years on from the devastating emergence of AIDS, the UK is proud to stand with all those affected directly and indirectly by the virus, and with all our partners, who have been instrumental in the global response to the HIV pandemic.

Together, we have made significant progress. Over 25 million people now receive treatment that not only prevents death, but allows people to thrive.

I commend the Secretary General for his excellent recent report, and I thank the Ambassadors of Australia and Namibia for their tireless work bringing countries together to speak with one voice.

I also thank UNAIDS and its co-sponsors, for their continued leadership.

The UK welcome the new Global AIDS Strategy. It rests on all of us to deliver it, and end the AIDS epidemic by 2030.

AIDS remains the leading killer of women of reproductive age, and Key Populations are disproportionately vulnerable to new HIV infections.

Clearly we need to drive down HIV infections in all these groups.

The UK has invested substantially in the WHO and Global Fund, which work alongside national governments to address their HIV epidemics.

And I am delighted to announce that the UK Government will contribute a further £7 million over the next 3 years to the Robert Carr Fund.

This will be used to support civil society networks to provide vital health services and advocate for the rights of Inadequately Served Populations.

Tragically, one of the biggest barriers to ending AIDS, is a lack of political will that flows from a lack of respect for the rights of women, adolescents, LGBTQ people, and minorities.

The same is true of AIDS as it is of COVID-19. We cannot put it behind us until every country is able to do so.

So we need to follow the public health evidence to protect and empower the most marginalised in their societies.

The UK has long been a defender of sexual and reproductive health and rights for all. We will continue to use our voice on the world stage to fight for gender equality and human rights.

We should not leave anyone behind – this is our moral duty, and a public heath necessity. It is the only way to end the AIDS epidemic, once and for all.

The steps agreed today between Prime Minister Boris Johnson and US President Joe Biden will help both countries respond to, and get ahead of, the evolving threats of the 21st century.

The UK and US will enhance their work to shape and secure the international order of the future, with NATO as the bedrock of our collective defence.

Our two nations will work together to further strengthen and modernise NATO, and increase its common funding, so the Alliance can harness the full range of military and non-military capabilities to tackle existing and emerging threats, including malicious cyber activity and attacks that test the resilience of our societies.

The US and UK will continue to modernise and integrate our armed forces, and strengthen bilateral cooperation on next generation capabilities.

The unique interoperability of the UK and US Armed Forces is demonstrated by the key role US forces are playing in the UK’s Carrier Strike Group (CSG21). Nine ships, 32 aircraft and 3,700 personnel set sail in May on the Strike Group’s seven-month maiden operational deployment around the world.

The integration of a US destroyer and Marine Corps jets into CSG21 shows our intent to further improve interoperability between NATO Allies as we jointly develop 5th generation carrier strike capability.

The deployment is emblematic of how the US and UK work together to defend our shared values, uphold the rules-based international order and tackle the threats of the future.

Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said:

It’s no secret that the US is our closest friend and most important defence partner. Combining the largest defence budget in the world and the largest defence budget in Europe, the US-UK alliance is a bulwark against those that aim to undermine the rules-based international order.

The extra £24 billion of UK Defence spending over the next four years means we have the resources going forward to modernise our Armed Forces and further integrate with allies so we can tackle the threats of the future together.

As longstanding partners, the UK and US will continue to draw on our extensive diplomatic, defence, security, civil and scientific cooperation to ensure Space is a safe and secure environment for all. The Joint Statement solidifies that commitment.

The UK and US will bolster security cooperation in areas where together we can have greater impact, such as in tackling illicit finance and corruption. Combatting illicit finance and corruption are transnational challenges that threaten our shared security and prosperity, requiring collective action and multilateral cooperation.

The UK and US as the two largest global financial centres will build on longstanding transatlantic efforts to lead the world in tackling illicit finance by reinforcing transparency and financial integrity, protecting open societies, and giving corrupt and malign actors no place to hide.

Home Secretary Priti Patel said:

The UK’s close security partnership with the US is our most important relationship. It keeps our citizens safe on both sides of the Atlantic.

Through bolstering our security cooperation, together we will be able to better combat terrorism, tackle illicit finance, dismantle the serious and organised crime groups who operate across our borders, and go after the individuals who prey on the most vulnerable in society, including our children.

The UK and US are also committed to continuing our longstanding cooperation on counter-terrorism and other forms of serious crime, including child abuse, by strengthening our partnership to tackle the shared threats that our nations face.

The PM and President agreed to tackle all forms of terrorism by working together to address terrorism online and enhance international collaboration on thwarting violent extremism and terrorism that is racially, ethnically or ideologically motivated, including a range of hateful white supremacist ideologies.

Both leaders also agreed to ensure law enforcement can lawfully access communications content vital to investigating and prosecuting serious crime including through bringing into force the world leading Bilateral Data Access Agreement. As crime so often crosses international borders, the agreement with the US – the world’s first – is a major step forward in keeping the citizens of both nations safe and the result of many years’ joint effort between the UK and US governments. It will be a significant tool in the prevention, detection, investigation and prosecution of serious crime.

Maintaining tightly controlled, lawful access to communications content is vital to the investigation and prosecution of serious crimes such as terrorism and the abuse of children; a top priority for both governments.

Both nations have agreed to work in partnership with technology companies to protect the safety of our citizens whilst maintaining rigorous privacy standards.

Thank you, Mr President. We very much welcome High Representative Borrell’s attendance at the Council today and thank him for his briefing.

We agree entirely with his emphasis on the importance of multilateralism. The UN-centred international rules-based system provides a foundation for coordinated and collective action, including through regional organisations, in order to address our biggest challenges, as exemplified so eloquently just now by Ambassador Kimani.

We welcome the role the EU has played in upholding international norms across a range of fora – from the G7 to the United Nations, including through the UNHRC special session on Myanmar that we jointly chaired earlier this year.

As High Representative Borrell set out, there is no greater global challenge than that posed by COVID-19. As Foreign Secretary Raab emphasised in this Council in February, and as we subsequently agreed in Resolution 2565, combatting and sustainably recovering from COVID-19 requires greater national, regional, and international cooperation and solidarity.

So we welcome the EU’s staunch support, as High Representative Borrell said, for the ACT-Accelerator and EU financial contributions to COVAX. The UK was proud to host the Global Vaccine Summit just over a year ago, which surpassed its target and raised $8.8 billion.

We have made some progress but there is more to do. We look forward to continued co-operation with the EU as we work to recover from COVID-19 and better prepare ourselves for future pandemics, including through our shared support for a global pandemic treaty. And we look forward to welcoming the Secretary-General and the Presidents of the European Council and European Commission to the UK later this week for the G7 leaders meeting. We are using our G7 Presidency to promote global health objectives and to support the world’s poorest.

Our shared work will need to continue at pace after the G7 as we head towards COP26 in Glasgow, where we hope that the world can finally turn the tide on the climate crisis. We are grateful for the steps already taken by the European Union, including the submission of an ambitious 2030 NDC. We count on the European Union’s support for an ambitious outcome and a cleaner, greener future for us all, but especially for those countries most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change – the same countries that Prime Minister Johnson and other world leaders called on us to support in this Council in February. And I want to thank Mr Borrell for the important point he made about the link between climate change and climate security and the need for us to address that issue in this Council.

Mr President, multilateralism continues to be central to addressing issues within the European sphere. Along with the European Union and other international partners, we have repeatedly called on Russia in the OSCE to cease its destabilising action in Ukraine. The United Kingdom will continue to work with the European Union and other partners in support of international law and the wider rules-based international system to defend Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity within its internationally recognised borders.

On Belarus, we share High Representative Borrell’s concern regarding the actions of the Belarusian authorities, including the forced landing of flight FR4978 and arrest of journalist Roman Protasevich. We continue to urge the Belarusian authorities to respect the will of the Belarusian people as well as their fundamental freedoms, human rights and the rule of law.

On the Western Balkans, we strongly support the EU-facilitated Dialogue, under EU Special Representative Miroslav Lajcak, on the normalisation of relations between Serbia and Kosovo. We continue to encourage closer cooperation between the EU and NATO, to promote democratic values, prevent destabilisation, and facilitate progress towards European and Euro-Atlantic integration. The UK continues to play a significant role in the NATO presence in the Western Balkans, working with partners including EUFOR Op Althea in Bosnia and Herzegovina, to support defence reform and peace.

Mr President, High Representative Borrell underlined the primary responsibility of this Council for the maintenance of international peace and security. And we recognise the contribution of the EU towards resolving issues on this Council’s agenda.

This includes the role of the EU in support of a diplomatic solution to the revitalisation and restoration the JCPoA. We continue to work together to bring Iran back into compliance with its commitments and restore the benefits of this deal for all parties.

The EU and UK continue to work closely on Libya, including through engagement with the Berlin process towards a sustainable, Libyan-owned political settlement. And we support continued efforts to enforce the UN arms embargo through EUNAVFOR Operation IRINI.

We welcome the EU’s continued focus on Africa, as set out just now by Ambassador Kimani.

In Somalia, we have been united with the EU and other international partners in calling for a consensus-based way forward on elections, and welcome the recent agreement between Somali leaders to that end. And of course we strongly support the work of the AU’s AMISOM mission, and hope that the EU will be able to continue its essential financial support to building Somali security.

Mr President, as we have shown in our work in the G7, here in New York at the UN, and across a range of shared global challenges, the EU and the UK share a resolve to tackle the common challenges we all face. This has included supporting human rights – including, as Mr Borrell said, for those in Hong Kong – tackling conflict, coordinating on human rights sanctions and promoting the rights and prosperity of women including through girls’ education.

I think you will agree, Mr President, that when we work together we are a force for the good in the world.

Thank you.

• UK and US will develop a new partnership on science and technology to strengthen collaboration between our countries, creating jobs and protecting security

• Partnership will help progress the principles enshrined in the new Atlantic Charter agreed by the Prime Minister and President Biden at a meeting in Cornwall today

• Future cooperation will build on the Digital Secretary’s 10 Tech Priorities, the UK’s R&D Strategy and the government’s Integrated Review

The UK and US have today agreed to deepen ties on science and technology and create a new era of strategic cooperation in the field.

As part of US President Joe Biden’s visit to the UK and under the framework of the revitalised Atlantic Charter, the two countries have agreed to develop a landmark science and technology partnership to strengthen the valued UK-US relationship, creating jobs and protecting the security of our citizens.

Both nations have set out their ambition to continue to lead the world in research and development, investing in our expertise and capacity to create wealth and tackle inequality, and ensure the values of liberal democracies, open societies and open markets are embedded in the design and use of technology globally.

The partnership will explore a number of areas for cooperation including research, innovation and commercialisation; defence, security, law enforcement and intelligence; and making sure technology is used as a force for good around the world. Officials from both countries will work to develop the partnership over the course of the next year.

It aims to strengthen cooperation in areas such as the resilience and security of critical supply chains, battery technologies, and emerging technologies including artificial intelligence (AI) and to improve the accessibility and flow of data to support economic growth, public safety and scientific and technological progress.

It will see the countries work towards a new statement of intent to help realise the full potential of quantum technologies, which use the properties of quantum physics to dramatically improve the functionality and performance of devices, develop proposals on future technology such as 6G and strengthen collaboration on digital technical standards.

The two nations have also committed to continue to broaden collaboration on science and technology to help facilitate world-class research and influence the rules, norms and standards governing technology and the digital economy.

The countries hope to combine their expertise to tackle global challenges such as cancer, pandemic preparedness, antimicrobial resistance, and climate change, including through closer coordination between the Prime Minister’s Council for Science and Technology and the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology, and through closer collaboration between US and UK senior science and technology advisers.

Digital Secretary, Oliver Dowden said:

In the 80 years since the Atlantic Charter was signed, technology has changed the world beyond recognition.

But the goals that underpin it still bind the US and UK together today: support for democracy, open societies and free markets.

Today’s announcement marks a new era of cooperation with our closest ally, in which we commit to using technology to create prosperity and guarantee the safety and security of our citizens for years to come.

Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng said:

The United States is our closest ally and most important research partner – a partnership which harnesses the power of the free market, science and new technology to address some of humanity’s greatest challenges, from antimicrobial resistance to preparing for future pandemics.

The landmark new partnership announced today will deepen those all-important ties and ensure Anglo-American research can continue to develop new technologies to generate wealth and prosperity for the good of mankind for generations to come.

Presidential Science Adviser and Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy, Eric Lander, said:

There are few relationships as consequential as the transatlantic partnership between the United States and United Kingdom in science and technology.

We share a belief in the power of science and technology to improve health, prosperity and security, and a commitment to the importance of investigator-driven research, freedom of inquiry, and equitable participation in the S&T enterprise.

Together, we will seek to set a positive example of how countries can work together to solve the critical and transnational challenges of the 21st century, including pandemic preparedness, climate change, and cancer.

Government Chief Scientific Adviser, Patrick Vallance, said:

I welcome this closer collaboration which will bring together the best of UK and US scientists and engineers. By combining our expertise to tackle global challenges, such as cancer, climate change, and pandemic preparedness, we can make a real difference and improve people’s lives.

The UK and the US are already global leaders in technologies such as cyber security and AI. Research published by Tech Nation shows the AI sector is worth £32.6 billion and home to more than 1,300 AI companies including firms such as DeepMind. The cyber sector now employs more than 50,000 people in the UK and is worth an estimated £8.9 billion.

Dealroom data shows the UK is Europe’s undisputed tech hub, with £11.3 billion ($16 billion) of venture capital being pumped into the sector in 2020, more than France and Germany combined, and the number of billion dollar tech ‘unicorns’ jumped from 10 to 81 over the same period.

Both governments are backing new technology and innovation. A ten-year National Quantum Technologies Programme, which is set to see over £1bn in private and public investment, has positioned the UK as a global leader in the field and in 2018 the US authorised over $1 billion to advance quantum technologies, with three NSF Quantum Leap Challenge Institutes and five DOE national research centres announced in summer 2020.

The UK government will invest £14.9 billion in R&D this year, bringing investment to its highest level in four decades. This is a major step towards our commitment to increase total public and private R&D investment to 2.4 per cent of GDP by 2027 and includes £200 million for the Net Zero Innovation Portfolio to set the UK on the path to a low carbon future.

This funding includes investment in world leading science and advanced mathematics, and in developing net zero energy technologies. It will also nurture the talent and skills of the next generation – including through the STEM Ambassadors Network and the CREST Awards to ensure that we continue to produce diverse cohorts of world-leading scientists and engineers.

The future partnership being announced today will build on these investments alongside the Digital Secretary’s Ten Tech Priorities which laid out how the government will aim to lead the global conversation on tech, keep the UK safe and secure online, and champion free and fair digital trade.

It will also build on the Prime Minister’s Integrated Review, which outlines how the government will take a more active approach to science and technology – using it to shape and bolster the UK’s policy ambitions and to influence the design and use of new technologies in line with democratic values.

And, later this year, the government will publish its Innovation Strategy which will set out plans to promote and stimulate innovation in all corners of the country.

Earlier this year the Digital Secretary spoke with his US counterparts to emphasize the importance of global collaboration to protect people online and drive the international debate in this area and used the G7 meeting of digital ministers to agree a declaration to put technology at the heart of global efforts to build back better from the pandemic.

Notes to editors:

Contact DCMS press office 020 7211 2210.

Read the Atlantic Charter

The Prime Minister met US President Joe Biden today in Cornwall ahead of the UK’s G7 Summit.

The Prime Minister welcomed President Biden to the UK on his first overseas visit as President and the leaders looked forward to important discussions at the G7 Summit in the coming days.

The Prime Minister and President discussed the importance of the relationship between the UK and the US for protecting our people, boosting prosperity in both our countries and promoting our values around the world.

They covered a number of foreign policy issues, including Afghanistan, China, Iran and Russia.

They agreed that the UK-US partnership was more important than ever as we tackle shared challenges like climate change and building back better from the coronavirus pandemic.

The Prime Minister and President concurred that the revitalised Atlantic Charter published today was a fitting testament to the sheer breadth and depth of the cooperation between our countries.

They resolved to take this cooperation further by expanding trade and progression towards a future UK-US Free Trade Agreement, a deal which would create jobs and bring new opportunities to both of our countries.

Noting the importance of not just the commercial but the human links between the UK and US, they also agreed to work to reopen travel and to continue to share information that will help defeat the spread of coronavirus in our countries and internationally.

The Prime Minister and President both reaffirmed their commitment to the Belfast (Good Friday) Agreement and to protecting the gains of the peace process. The leaders agreed that both the EU and the UK had a responsibility to work together and to find pragmatic solutions to allow unincumbered trade between Northern Ireland, Great Britain and the Republic of Ireland.

The Prime Minister outlined his ambitions to further expand opportunities for all the people in Northern Ireland and hoped that the US would continue to work with the UK to boost prosperity there.

The Prime Minister said he hoped that President Biden would attend the UK-hosted COP26 Summit later this year. The leaders agreed to not only work to reach net zero in their own countries, but also to make sure that developing world economies had access to green technology.”