Biden to visit UK, Belgium on first overseas travel

WASHINGTON

US President Joe Biden will visit the UK and Belgium in what will mark his first overseas travel since assuming office, the White House announced on Friday.

Official international travel has largely been stunted by the coronavirus pandemic, with Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin's visit to Asia being the first foreign travel made by senior Biden administration officials.

The president's travel in June "will highlight his commitment to restoring our alliances, revitalizing the Transatlantic relationship, and working in close cooperation with our allies and multilateral partners to address global challenges and better secure America’s interests," spokeswoman Jen Psaki said in a statement.

From June 11-13 Biden will attend the G7 Summit in Cornwall, UK, and will "reinforce our commitment to multilateralism, work to advance key U.S. policy priorities on public health, economic recovery, and climate change, and demonstrate solidarity and shared values among major democracies," Psaki said.

He will meet on the summit's sidelines with other G7 leaders, with Psaki only listing one meeting with British Premier Boris Johnson.

After the summit, Biden will travel to Brussels, Belgium to participate in a gathering of NATO leaders on June 14. The last such meeting was in 2018.

"President Biden will affirm the United States’ commitment to NATO, Transatlantic security, and collective defense. NATO leaders will discuss how to orient the Alliance to future threats and ensure effective burden-sharing. The President will also hold bilateral meetings with fellow NATO leaders," added Psaki.

He will also participate in a US-EU summit while in Brussels.