Brit urges close ties with U.S.

Speaking before nearly three dozen students and faculty Wednesday evening, a British embassy official urged the United States and Great Britain to maintain their close cooperation in the face of mounting world problems. Nick Browne, counselor of press and public affairs for the British Embassy in Washington, is responsible for the public presentation of British foreign policy throughout the United States. Browne, whose visit was part of the Wharton Undergraduate Vice Dean's International Lecture series, spoke in Steinberg-Dietrich Hall. Throughout his speech, Browne emphasized the "joint commitment and natural relations" between Great Britain and the United States that continue to exist. "The main problems that we face together fall under two headings: they are defense and security, and economic," he said. Browne told his audience that cooperation between the two countries was most valuable during the Persian Gulf War. "We have succeeded in making tremendous strides," he said. "The collapse of Communism has meant there is no longer an immediate threat to our alliance." "Overall, it would appear that the world is a great deal safer, but if you look closer it's not quite like that," Browne added. "It is becoming more apparent from month to month that we are finding ourselves with an intensely more complicated world." Browne listed the major security and defense problems that "we face together". He argued that the politically unstable Russian government, dangerous dictatorships such as Iraq and Iran, and ethnic rivalries like those in Yugoslavia continue to make the world unstable. "There is no way that we can predict the next challenge, but there will be one," he said. "I am sure that Ben Franklin is happier where he lies." Arguing that a stable economy leads to a more peaceful world, Brown said that the General Agreement on Trade and Tariffs is an important part in improving international trade. "If you want your economy to grow it has to be export-led," Browne said. "It is essential to a achieve a GATT, because if you liberate the international trade, it will inject something like $200 billion into the world economy." He went on to say that getting rid of trade barriers would benefit the American economy and its allies. Browne ended the hour-long speech by saying that the United States and Britain must work together to resist international aggression, be imaginative in offering where help is needed, and create conditions in the world under which trade can be conducted as freely as possible. Asked about the British government's thoughts on the Clinton administration, Browne replied, "We are looking foward to working with the new team. We congratulate them warmly and wish them all success." Browne, who has a degree in modern history from the College at Oxford University, said, "I was at Oxford at the same time as Bill Clinton, but try as I might I can't remember ever seeing him." "The British and United States will remain close friends for the foreseeable future," Browne added. "We don't want a free lunch off you, and you wouldn't give it to us. We will never be a superpower, that's you. We understand this and that we have to support you."