Asserting that he would have preferred Britain staying on in the European Union, US President Barack Obama on Friday said he respected the decision of Britons and reassured them that their special relationship with the US will remain.“The people of the United Kingdom have spoken, and we respect their decision,” the President said in a statement after the UK referendum opted to leave the European Union.“The special relationship between the United Kingdom and the United States is enduring, and the United Kingdom’s membership in Nato remains a vital cornerstone of US foreign, security and economic policy,” Obama added.Obama also assured those in the European Union, which has done “so much” to promote stability and economic growth, that the bloc’s relationship with the US will remain unchanged.