Rishi Sunak has laid a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery in recognition of the military ties between the UK and US.
The Prime Minister took part in the ceremony on day one of his first official visit to the United States since entering 10 Downing Street last October.
On a clear, bright morning - the day after the 79th anniversary of D-Day - the Prime Minister was accompanied by Major General Trevor J Bredenkamp, commander of the Washington military district, UK defence attache Rear Admiral Tim Woods and ambassador Dame Karen Pierce.
A 19-gun salute started at 8.55am and echoed around the sprawling grounds in Virginia, competing with the constant drone of jets taking off from nearby Ronald Reagan Airport.
The national anthems of both US and UK were played by a military band.
Dozens of personnel from the US army, navy, marines, air force and coastguard, dressed in ceremonial uniforms, formed a guard of honour.
A Union Flag was carried by the party accompanying the Prime Minister as he made his way to the monument.
Flags of the military service branches and US states hung limply in the still air.
After the wreath ceremony, Mr Sunak visited the memorial amphitheatre at the cemetery.
Some 400,000 people are buried at the cemetery near Washington DC.
The handwritten message on Mr Sunak’s wreath said: “In memory of those who made the ultimate sacrifice in order that we might live free. We will remember them.”
Earlier, the US ambassador to London said America has “no closer partner” than Britain in promoting peace, stability, and economic growth around the world, in the face of the growing threat from China and Vladimir Putin’s war in Ukraine.
Ambassador Jane Hartley also stressed the importance of the “Special Relationship” as America and Britain seek to build “21st century clean-energy” economies to combat climate change.
The senior US diplomat told The Standard: “I look forward to being at the White House with President Biden and Prime Minister Sunak this week as we work together on the greatest challenges facing our world.”
She added: “The United States has no closer partner than the United Kingdom in promoting peace, stability, and economic growth.
“This week in Washington, the world will see our Special Relationship in action.
“I’m excited in particular about where our economic relationship is headed as we work together to improve the prosperity of the U.S. and UK, build a twenty-first century clean-energy economy, and strengthen our economic security.”
Shortly after Mr Sunak touched down in Washington, Britain’s ambassador to the US Dame Karen Pierce tweeted: “Excellent to welcome Prime Minister@RishiSunak to Washington on his first official visit as PM.
“Here to expand the deep & enduring ties that bond our two great nations!”
The Prime Minister arrived late on Tuesday for two days of meetings with business leaders and senior figures in Congress, culminating in discussions with the US President at the White House.
He will push for action on artificial intelligence (AI) regulation and seek greater economic co-operation with the US.
The moves come amid rising concerns over Xi Jinping’s authoritarian rule in China and increasingly expansionist foreign policy, partly driven by Beijing’s economic and technological power.
Setting out his vision for an economic alliance, Mr Sunak said: “Just as interoperability between our militaries has given us a battlefield advantage over our adversaries, greater economic interoperability will give us a crucial edge in the decades ahead.
“By combining our vast economic resources and expertise, we will grow our economies, create jobs and keep our people safe long into the future.”
The Prime Minister will also raise concerns about Mr Biden’s flagship package of green technology subsidies when the pair meet in Washington on Thursday.
Senior ministers have criticised Mr Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act, a massive package of tax breaks and subsidies aimed at boosting green industries in the US, as protectionist and distorting.
Despite promises from Energy Secretary Grant Shapps that the Government was working with the US to smooth over “rough edges” which could hit British firms seeking to trade across the Atlantic, difficulties still remain.
Mr Sunak told reporters travelling with him to the US: “It’s something that he (Mr Biden) and I have discussed in the past and you’d expect us to continue discussing it.”
But he said it was “good for the world” that other countries were seeking to emulate the UK’s success in cutting emissions.
The Prime Minister hopes to establish a world of “economic interoperabilty” allowing Western allies to work together in the same way their militaries do as part of Nato.
Mr Sunak said that meant the G7 group of leading democracies “don’t believe in protectionism as the answer” to the challenge.
“All countries are going to invest in making sure they can make the transition to net zero. We’ve got a head start over everybody because we decarbonised faster than any other G7 economy,” he said.
“We’re investing billions and have been consistently investing billions to create hundreds of thousands of jobs across the UK and the fact that others are helping their urgency and pace at which they do the same thing is very welcome.”
