U.S. President Barack Obama and British Prime Minister David Cameron are attending a U.S. college basketball game Tuesday, as the two leaders highlight their strong transatlantic ties.

The White House says the game in Ohio is one of the events during Mr. Cameron's official visit that “underscore the special relationship” between the U.S. and Britain.

President Obama, an avid basketball fan, and Mr. Cameron travel to Dayton to attend the NCAA basketball tournament game. The two return to Washington late Tuesday.

At the White House Wednesday, Mr. Obama and Mr. Cameron are expected to discuss Afghanistan, Iran, Syria, and the upcoming G-8 and NATO summits. The British prime minister will also be honored with a state dinner.

In a newspaper opinion piece, the president and prime minister hailed the U.S.-British alliance as a “partnership of the heart, bound by the history, traditions and values” the two countries share.

They write in the Washington Post that they are working with G-8 and G-20 partners to put people back to work, sustain the global recovery, stand with Europe in resolving the debt crisis while curbing the “reckless financial practices” that have been costly to taxpayers.

President Obama and Prime Minister Cameron also say they are proud of the progress that their troops have made in Afghanistan, while noting that recent events — which they did not specify — show that the mission remains difficult.