U.S. President Donald Trump arrives for a welcoming ceremony by NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg at the start of a NATO summit at the Alliance’s headquarters in Brussels, Belgium July 11, 2018. REUTERS/Paul Hanna

LONDON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump should be welcomed to Britain when he visits on Thursday because of the close security cooperation between the countries, Cabinet Office minister David Lidington said on Wednesday.

More than 50,000 people have signed up to demonstrate against Trump when he visits.

“Because of the security cooperation that we have with the United States there are UK citizens who are alive today who might well not be alive had that cooperation and information sharing not taken place,” Lidington told parliament.

“It is therefore right that we welcome the duly elected president of our closest ally as we shall do tomorrow.”