Obama urges 'blood brother' Britain not to leave the EU
US President Barack Obama made an impassioned appeal on April 22 for Britain to remain in the European Union, saying membership had magnified Britain's place in the world and made the bloc stronger and more outward looking.
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Fearful that a British exit could weaken the West, Obama arrived in London to tell Britons that issues such as terrorism, migration and economic slowdowns could be tackled more successfully with the UK in the EU.
In approaching such a divisive issue, he invoked the interlinked history of the two countries and the tens of thousands of Americans lying in European war graves as his reason for speaking as "a friend" on the June 23 referendum.
"The European Union doesn't moderate British influence - it magnifies it," he wrote in the Daily Telegraph newspaper.
"The United States sees how your powerful voice in Europe ensures that Europe takes a strong stance in the world, and keeps the EU open, outward looking, and closely linked to its allies on the other side of the Atlantic".
Obama is scheduled to have lunch on April 22 at Windsor Castle with Queen Elizabeth, who celebrated her 90th birthday on April 21, and her husband Prince Philip. He is scheduled to hold talks after lunch with Prime Minister David Cameron.
Obama's visit is a welcome one for Cameron, who is leading the "In" campaign, but it has drawn scorn from those arguing that Britain should leave the bloc.
