Mckinley gave those the next president of the United States [cheering] [applause] president obama is on a trip to a United Kingdom, including the meeting with Prime MinisterDavid Cameron. He will stay in britain on saturday before heading to germany on sunday. The president and Prime Minister cameron held a joint press conference with they talked upcoming referendum on britains membership in the European Union. President obama wrote an opinion piece in the telegraph arguing for britain to stay in the eu is present is one hour. Prime minister cameron good afternoon and welcome. It is great to welcome president obama on his fifth visit to the United Kingdom. Barack has been president for more than seven years. I have been Prime Minister for nearly six years. And our two countries have been working together through some of the most difficult and troubled global times. We faced the aftermath of the banking crisis, the need to revive growth and create jobs in our economies, new threats to our security from russia in the east to the rise of islamic terrorism in the south. And, of course, huge global challenges like ebola and climate change. Through it all, the strong and essential partnership between our nations has never been more important. When 70 years ago last month Winston Churchill first described the special relationship, it was not merely an enduring expression of friendship. It was a way of working together. It was about two nations, Kindred Spirits who share the same values and so often the same approaches to the many issues we face. And just as for our predecessors, that has been true for barack and me. Whether we are working to deliver economic security, national security, or new emerging challenges. Today, we have been discussing all three. On economic security, we have succeeded in getting our economies growing and creating jobs for our people. The Global Economy still faces serious challenges. Last year britain and the United States were the two fastestgrowing Major Economies in the world. And we both know just how important trade deals are in driving global growth. So barack and i remain the most determined to achieve our vision of a u. S. E. U. Trade deal. We are working hard to push this forward because it would add billions to our economies and set the standards for the rest of the world to follow. On national security, together with our partners in the e. U. , we have used our economic muscle to avoid the calamity of the an Iranian Nuclear weapon. We have delivered sanctions against russia in response to aggression against ukraine. With secures the first ever legally binding deal on climate change. Being formally signed today by over 150 governments at the United Nations. And we have transformed the way we use our aid, and our military together to make progress and some of the most difficult issues of our time. For example, in east africa, we have helped to turn around the prospects for somalia. For instance, thanks to an e. U. Operation, led by britain, its waters are no longer safe haven for pirates. In west africa, british leadership in europe secured one billion euros to help the people to defeat the outbreak of ebola with britain taking the lead in sierra leone, the United States and liberia and guinea. Just as we made progress in these areas, so there are many more that need a lot more work. There is no doubt that the situation in libya is challenging but we now finally have a government of National Accord with whom we can work. While in syria and iraq we are continuing Coalition Efforts to defeat and a great daesh. More than 25,000 daesh fighters have been killed. With the total number of fighters now estimated to be at its lowest for about two years. The Iraqi Security forces are steadily pushing daesh out of its territory. In syria, our partners have liberated the large kurdish areas in the northeast and cut off the main road between raka and mosul. We also discussed the migration crisis which does not directly affect the United States. In the u. K. , we have maintained our borders and we will continue to do so but we both know the challenge this poses to our friends and allies into the continent of europe. This is the sort of challenge that can only be tackled effectively through International Cooperation. Nato is helping to reduce the number of migrants in the Eastern Mediterranean and barack and i have discussed how nato make and should be treated e. U. s efforts in the central mediterranean. We also need to do more to break the Business Model of the people smugglers. Together with our partners and the Libyan Government, we will look at whether there is more we can do to strengthen the libyan coast guard. Barack and i will discuss this further when we meet with the leaders and hanover on monday. And this will be another opportunity to show how working together collectively we can better protect ourselves from the threats that we face. We also covered a number of emerging challenges that it is more important than ever that we were together to identify problems and deal with the rapidly. Just as we have done with ebola, we now need the same International Cooperation on dealing with the zika virus. On the challenge of antimicrobial resistance, on cyber security, and on tackling corruption. Britain is holding a big summit in london next month. Barack and i have talked today about some of things we wanted to achieve. One of the biggest problems as if you are a country that wants to take action against corruption, you have to go all around the globe to lobby for help. So, we would like to see an International Coordination center to help Law Enforcement agencies and investigators worked together right across different jurisdictions. If we get an International Agreement this next month, both britain and america will contribute to set it up. All this work we have done together and at the same time i think we got to know each other very well. Im honored to have barack as a friend. He has taught me the rules of basketball, beaten me a table tennis. I remember the barbecue we had at number 10 downing street. Serving servicemen and women who serve our countries together here and in the United Kingdom. Ive always found barack someone who gives sage advice. He is a man with a very good heart. And been a very good friend and always will be a good friend i know to the United Kingdom. Let me finish by saying this in all the areas we have discussed today, our collective power and reach is amplified by britains never ship of the European Union for let me be clear when it comes to the special relationship between our two countries, there is no greater enthusiasm for me. I am very proud to have the opportunity to be Prime Minister and to stand outside the white house this thing to this man, my friend barack, say that the special relationship has never been stronger. Ive never felt constrained in any way and strengthening this relationship by the fact that we are in the European Union. Quite the reverse. We deliver for a people for all the International Groups we are part of. We enhance our security to the mentorship of nato, further a prosperity through the g7 and g20. Like those organization, britains membership of the e. U. Gives us a powerful tool to deliver on the prosperity and security that our people need and to stand up for the values that our country share. Now i think is the time to stay true to those values and to stick together with our friends and allies in europe and around the world. Thank you very much. Barack. President obama as always, it is wonderful to be here in london. And to meet with my good friend David Cameron. I confess i have also come back to wish her majesty, the queen, very happy 90th birthday. Earlier today, michelle and i had the honor to join her majesty and his Royal Highness the, the duke of edinburgh as their guests, where we reconveyed the good wishes of the american people. I have to say i have never been driven by a duke of edinburgh before. And i can report that it was very smooth riding. As for her majesty, the queens been a source of inspiration for me. She is truly one of my favorite people. Should we be fortunate enough to reach 90, may we be as vibrant as she is. She is an astonishing person and a real jewel to the world, and not just to the United Kingdom. The alliance between the United States and the United Kingdom is one of the oldest and one of the strongest the world has ever known. When the u. S. And the u. K. Stand together, we make our countries more secure, our people more prosperous, and we make the world safer and better. That is when of the reasons why my first overseas visit as president more than seven years ago was here to london. At a time of global crisis. And the one thing i knew as green as i was as a new president was that it was absolutely vital that the United States and the United Kingdom working together in an international forum, tackle the challenges that lie ahead. Our success depended on our ability to coordinate and be be able to leverage our relationship to have an impact on other countries. I met with david on that visit. He was not yet Prime Minister, but just as our nations share a special edition, david and i have shared an extraordinary partnership. He has proven to be a great friend and is one of my closest and most trusted partners. Over the six years or so that our terms have overlapped, we have met or spoken more times than i can count. We have shared our countrys beers with each other. He vouches for his. Taken him to a basketball game in america. You should recall we were partners in a pingpong game. We lost to some schoolchildren. I cant remember whether they were 8 or 10, but they were decidedly shorter than we were. And they whooped us. Samantha and michelle have become good friends as well. And it is the depth and breadth of that special relationship that has helped us tackle some of the most daunting challenges of our time. Around the world, our joint efforts have stopped the outbreak of ebola, helped iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon. Forged a climate agreement in paris that hopefully will help to protect our planet for future generations. And today, on earth day, our governments, along with 170 others, are in new york to sign that agreement. The u. S. Is committed to formally joining it this year, which should help it take effect years earlier than anybody expected. We also discussed the full array of challenges to our shared security. We remain resolute in our efforts to prevent terrorist attacks against our people and to continue the progress weve made in rolling back and ultimately defeating isil. Our forces are systematically degrading isils finances as safe havens and removing its leaders from the battlefield to it we have to keep working to improve security and information sharing across europe and to stem the flow of foreign fighters into and out of syria. We discussed our efforts to resolve critical conflicts in the middle east from yemen to syria to libya. In libya going forward, we have an opportunity to support a new government and help the libyans root out extremist elements. In syria, as challenging as it is, we still need to see more progress towards an enduring ceasefire and we continue to push for greater humanitarian access to the people who need it most. We have to continue to invest in nato so that we can meet our overseas commitments from afghanistan to the aegean. We have to resolve the conflict in ukraine. All nato allies should aim for the target of spending 2 of gdp on defense, something that david has made sure happens here in the u. K. To meet that standard. We discuss new actions we can take to address the refugee crisis, including with our nato allies. Because a Strong Defense relies on more than just military spending, but on helping to unleash the potential of others to live freer and more prosperous lives, i want to thank the people of the United Kingdom for their extraordinary generosity as one of the world for most donors of humanitarian aid we talked about promoting growth through increased trade so our young people can achieve greater opportunity. And yes, the Prime Minister and i discussed whether the u. K. Should remain part of the European Union. Let me be clear. Ultimately, this is something the british voters have to decide for themselves. But as part of our special relationship part of being friends is to be honest. And to let you know what i think. And speaking honestly, the outcome of that decision is a matter of deep interest to the United States because it affects our prospects as well. The United States wants a strong United Kingdom is a partner. And the United Kingdom is at his best when it is helping to lead a strong europe. It leverages u. K. Power to be part of the European Union. As i wrote, i dont believe the e. U. Moderates british influence in the world. It magnifies it. The e. U. Has helped to spread British Values and practices across the continent. The Single Market brings extraordinary economic benefits to the United Kingdom. And that ends up being good for america, because we are more prosperous when one of our best friends and closest allies has a strong stable and growing economy. Americans want britains influence to grow, including within europe. The fact is in todays world, no nation is immune to the challenges that david and i just discussed. And i todays world, solving them requiresn collective action. All of us cherish our sovereignty. My country is pretty vocal about that. But the u. S. Also recognizes that we strengthen our security through our membership in nato. We strengthen our prosperity through organizations like the g7 and the g20. I believe the u. K. Strengthens our prosperity through the e. U. In the 21st century, the nations that make their presence felt on the world stage are not the nations that go it alone. But the nations that team up to aggregate their power and multiply their influence. And precisely because britains values and institutions are so strong and so sound, we want to make sure that that influence is heard. And its felt. That it influences other countries to think about critical issues. We have confidence that when the u. K. Is involved in a problem, that they are going to help solve it in the right way. That is why the United States cares about this. For centuries, europe was marked by war and by violence. The architecture that our two countries helped build with the e. U. Has provided the foundation for decades of relative peace and prosperity on that continent. What a remarkable legacy, the legacy born in part out of what took place in this building. Before he walked out, i happened to see enigma on display. And that was a reminder of the incredible innovation and collaboration of the allies in world war ii and the fact that neither of us could have won that alone. In the same way, after world war ii, we built out the International Institutions that, yes, occasionally constrain us, but we willingly allowed those constraints because we understood that by doing so, we are able to institutionalize and internationalize the basic values of global law and freedom and democracy. That would benefit our citizens as well as people around the world. I i think there is a british poet who was said no mans an island. Even an island as beautiful as this. We are stronger together. If we continue to tackle our challenges together, in future generations we will look back on ours, just as we look back on the previous generation of english and american citizens who worked so hard to make this world safer and more secure and more prosperous and theyll say we did our part, too. Thats important. That is important not just here. That is important in the United States as well. Thanks. Prime minister cameron we have got some questions. We start with a question from the british press. From itv. Thank you very much. Mr. President , you yourself acknowledged the controversial timing of your comments on the e. U. Referendum in the spirited debates were having and i think you are right. In the week before your arrival leave campaigners have said you are acting hypocritically. America would not accept the loss of sovereignty we have to accept as part of the e. U. America would not accept the levels of immigration from mexico that we have to accept from the e. U. And therefore, in various degrees of politeness, they have said to you you should really keep your views to yourself. With that in mind, mr. President , do you still think it was the right decision to intervene in this debate . And what happens if the u. K. Does decide in june to leave the <