LONDON, Jan. 22 (Xinhua) -- Britain and the United States sometimes forget about their own relationship as they focus on global issues, visiting U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said Monday.
Tillerson was in the British capital for talks with British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson, with both men stressing the closeness of the relationship. The two met at the Foreign Secretary's official London residence in Carlton Gardens.
In what was seen as a gesture for both countries to keep an eye on their own bilateral relationship described by Tillerson as enduring, the top U.S. diplomat said: "We spend a lot of time talking about the world's problems, whether it's North Korea, Syria, or Yemen, and sometimes we forget about the importance of our own relationship."
"Both from a security standpoint, but also from an economic standpoint, we need to pay attention to that relationship and the importance of this relationship on a bilateral basis, as well while we work together in common cause to address some of these serious conflicts around the world that confront both of our nations," Tillerson said.
Johnson described the relationship between the U.S. and the UK as absolutely fundamental not only to diplomacy, but also to the economy.
"There are a million people who go to work in the United States every day who are employed by British companies, as there are 1.2 million who go to work every day in this country who are employed by American companies. There is no other economic relationship like it," said Johnson.
Questioned by media about the current Turkish incident in northern Syria, Tillerson said: "We recognize and fully appreciate Turkey's legitimate right to protect its own citizens from terrorist elements that may be launching attacks against Turkish citizens and Turkish soil from Syria."
He said the United States was engaged to address Turkey's legitimate security concerns in a way that's satisfactory to Turkey, and get back to the process of defeating ISIS, securing a peaceful, stable Syria, and working towards a unified Syria.
The two were also quizzed about the situations in Iran following Trump's condemnation of a deal over Iran's nuclear ambitions, and Israel where President Trump has announced that the U.S. Embassy is to be moved to Jerusalem.
Johnson responded: "The world is really waiting to see with great interest what the United States is going to produce by way of a proposal on the Middle East peace process.
"And clearly, Jerusalem now having been recognized by the United States as the capital of Israel, one would expect some sort of symmetrical movement in the other direction to get things moving," he said.
A Foreign Office spokesman in London said later the two ministers discussed a full range of bilateral and international issues, underscoring the strength of the UK-U.S. relationship.
The spokesman said they discussed the UK and U.S. respective views on the Iran nuclear deal.
Johnson said Britain believes the Iran nuclear deal is working, and that the UK would work closely with the U.S., European and international partners to tackle Iran's disruptive behavior in the region.
