The US and Europe should seize “a truly historic window of opportunity” to advance not just political issues but business ones too under the new US administration, leading industrialists say on Thursday in a letter to the Financial Times.

The chief executives of groups including General Electric, EADS, EDF, Northrop Grumman and Alcatel Lucent urge the governments of the US and Europe to work together more closely in areas including defence, energy, security and aerospace.