He was the first European leader called by Joe Biden, when the 46th President of the United States succeeded Donald Trump in January.
Boris Johnson, the British Prime Minister, will also be the first to receive him, this Thursday, during a meeting during which they hope to agree on a new "Atlantic Charter", in a context however blurred by the delicate issue of Brexit and its consequences in Northern Ireland.
In Carbis Bay, a small seaside resort in the south-west of England where a G7 summit will be held from Friday to Sunday devoted, among other priorities, to the coronavirus pandemic and the climate crisis, London is hoping for the establishment of a new charter ”designed on the model of the Charter signed by Winston Churchill and Franklin D. Roosevelt. She must say that "while the world has changed since 1941, the values remain the same" in the defense of democracy, collective security and international trade, Downing Street said.
The document will also "recognize more recent challenges, such as the need to address the threat of cyber attacks, to act urgently to combat climate change and protect biodiversity and, of course, to help the world. to put an end to the coronavirus pandemic and to recover from it ”, it is specified.
The two leaders are also due to discuss a resumption of travel between the United Kingdom and the United States after the pandemic as well as a future agreement allowing for better cooperation in the technology sector.
Common positions
The two countries are linked by what they traditionally call a "special relationship", and touted as such by generations of British leaders.
Boris Johnson, who dreams of a United Kingdom shining on the international scene, after having slammed the door of the EU, prefers to avoid this term.
"But that in no way detracts from the importance we attach to our relationship with the United States, which is our closest ally," said his spokesperson.
For the White House, the expression remains valid.
Joe Biden, who is proud of his Irish origins, "will affirm the enduring strength of the special relationship," before highlighting US priorities at the G7, including shared democratic values, climate change and recovery from the pandemic, according to his door. -says Jen Psaki.
Even if the populist accents of "BoJo" have earned him comparisons with Donald Trump, who was full of praise for him, the conservative leader is much more in tune with the administration of Joe Biden on major international issues.
The two leaders display a common determination to tackle the climate crisis, and share similar positions on the challenges posed by China and Russia.
A few days before the G7 summit, London supported the proposed minimum tax rate for companies championed by Joe Biden, with a better distribution of tax revenues from multinationals, in particular the digital giants.
Commercial agreement ?
However, major points of tension persist in Northern Ireland, with Washington not liking London's attempts to renege on its trade commitments to the EU made in the context of Brexit. The White House has warned the UK government that any snagging in the 1998 peace deal could jeopardize the success of a much-coveted US-UK trade deal Mr Johnson has coveted.
According to the daily The Times published Thursday, the highest American diplomat stationed in Great Britain, Yael Lempert, accused London of "stoking" by its attitude the tensions in Northern Ireland.
The European Union, for its part, warned on Wednesday that it would not hesitate to adopt a firm response if the British government refused to implement the specific post-Brexit provisions in Northern Ireland, at the origin of strong tensions in the British province.
The so-called Good Friday agreement, obtained with the involvement of former US President Bill Clinton, put an end to violence between Republicans (mostly Catholics) and Unionists (mostly Protestants), which had killed some 3,500 in 30 years. in Northern Ireland.
