U.S. President Barack Obama and British Prime Minister David Cameron on Tuesday hailed the "unique and essential" American-British alliance in dealing with world challenges, ahead of their summit meeting, Xinhua reported.
Cameron is to begin his three-day visit to the U.S. from Tuesday, during which he will discuss with Obama a wide range of issues including how to deal with the global economy, Afghanistan' s transition, Iranian nuclear standoff and Syria's unrest.
In a joint article published on The Washington Post, Obama and Cameron said that, with the American-British alliance, "there is hardly anything they (Americans and British) could not do, either in the field of war or in the not less tangled problems of peace."
"The alliance between the United States and Great Britain is a partnership of the heart, bound by the history, traditions and values we share. But what makes our relationship special -- a unique and essential asset -- is that we join hands across so many endeavors," they wrote.
"Put simply, we count on each other and the world counts on our alliance," they said.
As leading world economies, the two countries are coordinating closely with their G-8 and G-20 partners "to put people back to work, sustain the global recovery, stand with our European friends as they resolve their debt crisis and curb the reckless financial practices that have cost our taxpayers dearly," the two leaders said.
The two leaders also highlighted the unity and contributions of the two allies in the mission in Afghanistan, in dismantling al- Qaeda, breaking the Taliban's momentum and training Afghan forces.
During Cameron's visit, the two leaders will also consult about preparations for the G-8 and NATO summits due to be held in May in the U.S., which will determine "the next phase of the transition" in Afghanistan of the NATO mission to a support role in advance of Afghans taking full responsibility for security in 2014.
On the Iranian nuclear issue, Obama and Cameron reiterated that "there is time and space to pursue a diplomatic solution" to prevent Tehran from obtaining a nuclear weapon. They said the two countries are coordinating with China, France, Germany and Russia on the Iranian nuclear issue, while keeping tough economic sanctions on Iran.
On Syria's continued unrest, Obama and Cameron condemned "the Syrian regime's horrific violence against innocent civilians, and we are focused on the urgent humanitarian task of getting food and medicine to those in need."
They also vowed to work with international partners to " continue to tighten the noose around (Syrian President) Bashar al- Assad and his cohorts, and we'll work with the opposition and the United Nations-Arab League envoy Kofi Annan to plan for the transition that will follow Assad's departure from power."
On Tuesday night, Obama will take Cameron to a basketball game in Dayton, Ohio, between Mississippi Valley State and Western Kentucky, in a gesture of goodwill to showcase the close alliance between the two countries.