Obama to ‘Coordinate’ with Merkel Handling of the EU with the UK

Originally appeared at DWN, translated by Karin exclusively for SouthFront

In the future, President Obama wants to coordinate directly with Chancellor Merkel in handling of the EU with the UK. Previously, the British were the first contact for the US government. Hillary Clinton wants to maintain exactly this axis.

US President Barack Obama will coordinate with Chancellor Angela Merkel when dealing with the British decision to withdrawal from the EU, reports AFP. He was on the phone on Friday with Merkel, Obama said in a speech at the California Stanford University. He had agreed with the Chancellor, “that the US and its European allies will cooperate closely in the coming weeks and months.”

Obama voiced at the same time the expectation that Britain would make its exit from the European Union in an “orderly” manner. British Prime Minister David Cameron had agreed with him about this in a telephone conversation; the economic and financial teams of both governments should remain in close contact.

The British Prime Minister, who had scheduled the referendum, but promoted the stay of his country in the EU, has announced his resignation for October. He wants his successor only then starting the exit negotiations with the EU.

Hillary Clinton, the likely presidential candidate of the US Democrats, put another accent on it: she said that the “special relationship” between Britain and the Transatlantic Alliance with the USA is still steadfast.

The US president had campaigned for the remaining of Britain in the EU. During a visit to the UK in April, he warned of waning British influence in world affairs with an EU exit. The European Union did not diminish British influence, but “increased” it.

However, the intervention of the US president perhaps helped rather the proposed referendum on United Kingdom membership of the European Union Brexit. It might have been “counterproductive”, said Friday the European expert Michael Geary from Wilson Center, a Washington Institute.

Now the relations with both, the UK and the European Union are more complicated and unstable for the USA. The vast consequences of the proposed referendum on United Kingdom membership of the European Union make both partners to unpredictable variables.

In a brief written statement Obama assured on Friday that both the European Union and Britain would remain for the United States “indispensable partners”, also during the period of renegotiation of their mutual relations. He reassured that the “special relationship” between the United States and Great Britain will stay and that Washington continues to be the UK and NATO partner.

The US has its very close ties to Britain traditionally used to exert influence within Europe. The “special relationship” with London made the cooperation with the EU on many issues easily, said expert Jeffrey Rathke from the Center for Strategic and International Studies in the US capital. After deciding for the Brexit of the United Kingdom membership of the European Union, the United States would now “upgrade” their cooperation with other European countries.