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PM vows UK will remain "strongest of US allies"

  LONDON, July 11 (Xinhua) -- British Prime Minister Theresa May said Wednesday that the UK will remain the strongest of U.S. allies, as she prepares to host U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday.

  A statement released Wednesday night by the PM's office said that Prime Minister May will use the visit of Trump, his first visit to Britain as president, to highlight the strength of the transatlantic relationship, setting out how closely the UK works with the U.S. on defence, security and foreign policy issues and discussing the vast opportunities to deepen ties in areas such as trade and investment in the years ahead.

  "When we leave the European Union we will begin to chart a new course for Britain in the world and our global alliances will be stronger than ever," May said. "There is no stronger alliance than that of our special relationship with the U.S. and there will be no alliance more important in the years ahead."

  She said that Britain and the U.S. already have a uniquely close partnership in the fight for democracy and global security and we share a global outlook across the vast majority of foreign policy issues.

  "Our trade and investment relationship is unrivalled - we are the largest investors in each other's economies and every day a million British people go to work for U.S. companies in the UK and a million Americans go to work for UK companies in the U.S.," she said.

  "This week we have an opportunity to deepen this unique trading relationship and begin discussions about how we will forge a strengthened, ambitious and future-proof trade partnership," she added.

  She said that "as two nations - we are safer, more prosperous and more creative when we work together and I am looking forward to this week's important discussions."

  President Trump will arrive in Britain Thursday afternoon and will be hosted by the Prime Minister at Blenheim Palace Thursday evening. On Friday, he will witness a demonstration of Britain's cutting edge military capabilities and integrated UK-US military training.

  He will then travel to Chequers for substantive bilateral talks with the Prime Minister on a range of foreign policy issues including Russia, trade, Brexit, and the Middle East.