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Washington (CNN)President Barack Obama said Friday that the relationship between the United States and the United Kingdom will not change following the Brexit vote.
“While the UK’s relationship with the EU will change, one thing that will not change is the special relationship that exists between our two nations,” Obama said during remarks at Stanford University in Palo Alto, California, after Britons decided to separate from the European Union. “That will endure.”
Obama noted that the referendum, characterized by a fierce populist debate on issues like immigration and the economy, spoke to “the ongoing changes and challenges that are raised by globalization.”
“While the UK’s relationship with the EU will change, one thing that will not change is the special relationship that exists between our two nations. That will endure,” said Obama, who in April visited London to urge the country to stay a European member state.
The President spoke with British Prime Minister David Cameron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Friday, saying afterwards that the EU will remain a “vital” U.S. partner, alongside NATO.
“Our shared values including our commitment to democracy and pluralism … will continue to unite all of us,” Obama said, repeating a common theme in his addresses as criticism of immigrants and religious minorities has featured in the presidential campaign.
Other top U.S. leaders across the political spectrum also stressed continuity in America’s relationship with the UK, even as the result roiled global economic markets, surprised friends and allies, and raised questions about the political future of both Europe and London.
In a statement earlier Friday, Obama said that the U.S. respected the decision in which nearly 52% voted to leave while 48% preferred to stay.
“The people of the United Kingdom have spoken, and we respect their decision,” he said. As pundits repeatedly used the analogy of divorce, the President made clear that America would not be choosing sides.