U.S. President Joe Biden visits Europe later this month on what will be his first trip abroad since taking office, the White House announced Thursday. Biden, who became president on January 20, will meet with world leaders in the United Kingdom, Belgium and Switzerland during his visit June 10-16. “This trip will highlight America’s 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,” White House spokesperson Jen Psaki said in a statement. The U.S. president will meet in the United Kingdom with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on June 10 and attend the June 11-13 G-7 summit in the county of Cornwall in southwest England. FILE – Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II delivers a speech in the House of Lords during the State Opening of Parliament, at the Palace of Westminster in London, May 11, 2021.Biden will meet with Queen Elizabeth at Windsor Castle on June 13 before traveling to Brussels, Belgium, for the NATO summit on June 14, when he will “affirm the United States’ commitment to NATO, transatlantic security and collective defense,” Psaki said. While in Brussels, Biden will also meet with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan “to discuss the full range of bilateral and regional issues” and participate in the U.S.-EU Summit on June 15, when leaders will discuss international health security, global economic recovery, climate change and other matters. Biden will also meet with Belgium’s King Philippe and Prime Minister Alexander De Croo. His European trip will also take him to Geneva, Switzerland, “where he will hold a bilateral summit with Russian Federation President Vladimir Putin on June 16,” according to Psaki. Biden will also meet with Swiss President Guy Parmelin and Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis.
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