THE three most important world events in my life time have been the release of Nelson Mandela, the Good Friday Agreement (Northern Ireland) and the fall of the Berlin Wall.

All of these great achievements involved co-operation between governments. Mandela’s release was part of the international campaign to end apartheid rule in South Africa.

The treaty to end the Troubles in Northern Ireland was brokered by help from Ireland and the USA.

The fall of the Berlin Wall was the culmination of pressure from the citizens of the Soviet empire in Eastern Europe. This was combined with intense military pressure from NATO, led by the USA and Britain.

Mrs Thatcher and President Regan could not have orchestrated this victory of the West without the support of European countries, particularly West Germany.

The deployment of cruise missiles and substantial military forces in Germany with the active support of the European Union finally demonstrated to the Soviets its failure to dominate central Europe. This was underlined by the rise of nationalism and demonstrations throughout the area.

The fall of the wall and the Soviet empire came through a partnership of European partners, supported by the USA. In the war against terrorism, a similar alliance is in place with a healthy exchange of information.

The USA and the countries of the EU are again working together at a critical time, both to deal with terrorism and the potential threat of Russia in the Ukraine or the Middle East.

This is not the time for Britain to signal that it is ‘leaving’ Europe.

Our national security should be a central consideration in the debate over the whether to remain in the EU or not.

We are called by our national interest and continued partnership with our friends in Europe to remain in the EU. In the 1930s we turned our back on Europe and thought that we could bear the consequences. Isolationism was wrong then, and is foolish now.

Rev Brian Strevens, Hill Lane, Shirley