British foreign secretary David Lammy will welcome U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken to London on Tuesday as part of strategic talks on the future of the “special relationship.”

The Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office (FCDO) said the pair talks would cover “unwavering support” for Ukraine, the UK and U.S. commitment to a long-term peaceful settlement in the Middle East and enabling a two-state solution.

The pair would also discuss ways to “deepen” the economic and security relationship between the U.S. and the UK, in the first of what is hoped to be an annual “strategic dialogue” meeting.

The foreign secretary said the UK had “no greater friend” than the U.S.

“The special relationship has been cherished on both sides of the Atlantic for more than 80 years. But together, we are committed to supercharging our alliance to bring security and growth to Brits and Americans alike,” he said. “In a more volatile and insecure world, it is even more important that we are highly aligned nations. Together, we are re-energising our economic partnership, working together to tackle insecurity abroad and facing the future in unity and confidence.”

Messrs Lammy and Blinken met in July at the NATO summit in Washington, DC.

(dpa/NAN)