America 'has no closer ally than UK' says Barack Obama adviser ahead of visit

US PRESIDENT Barack Obama's state visit to the UK next week will reaffirm the importance of the "special relationship" between the two countries, the White House has said.

Mr Obama will be hosted by the Queen for the two-day visit, starting on Tuesday, and has been granted the rare honour of addressing both houses of parliament in the historic Westminster Hall on Wednesday.

A senior Obama administration official yesterday said America had "no closer ally" in the world than the UK, and paid tribute to Britain's co-operation with Washington on security issues from Iraq to Afghanistan and Libya.

As well as bilateral talks at 10 Downing Street, the president and Prime Minister David Cameron will attend an event hosted by their wives to honour military families from the US and UK, said the White House.

"The US and UK of course enjoy a special relationship," deputy national security adviser Ben Rhodes said.

"There is no closer ally for the US in the world than the UK and we are co-ordinating and closely aligned on issues ranging from our efforts on Afghanistan to our counter-terrorism efforts, our ongoing efforts in Libya, our G20 agenda and our non-proliferation activities, to name a few.

"Our deeply shared set of values that have tied us together for many decades."