Strengthening the Transatlantic Alliance: An Overview of the Obama Administration's Policies in Europe (June 16, 2009)
Asst. Sec. Gordon’s Congressional Testimony Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs Statement before the Subcommittee on Europe of the House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Wexler,
Congressman Gallegly, members of the Committee, thank you for the opportunity
to speak to you today about Administration policies and priorities in Europe
and strategies to further strengthen the transatlantic relationship. President Obama, Secretary Clinton,
and I are committed to reinvigorating and deepening the traditional
relationships of confidence and trust we share with Europe. Europe is eager to
reciprocate and increase the breadth of our close relationship, one that is
based on shared values, including an enduring commitment to democracy,
transparency, accountability, respect for human rights, and the rule of law.
Today, I will highlight some examples of what the United States and Europe have
achieved and what our policy objectives are going forward. To do that, I will
touch on three strategic priorities for the Administration in Europe: European
engagement on global challenges; a Europe that is whole, free, and at peace;
and a renewed relationship with Russia. Many of our European partners are
among the most prosperous, democratic, and militarily capable countries in the
world. Working with our European allies both bilaterally and multilaterally
will remain critical to success in tackling the many global challenges we face
together. The United States cooperates with Europe on all of the most important
global challenges, including restoring growth and confidence in the world
financial system; fighting poverty and pandemic disease; countering terrorism
and nuclear proliferation; advancing peace in the Middle East; promoting human
rights; and combating trafficking in persons. Still, there are other areas
where our cooperation with Europe needs to increase. We can and must do more to
address challenges like ongoing operations in Afghanistan and Iraq; instability
in Pakistan; Iranian and North Korean nuclear weapons programs; energy security
and climate change. As President Obama has said, “The United States is ready to
lead, and we call upon our partners to join us with a sense of urgency and
common purpose.” Critical Partnerships One of the Administration’s most
important priorities will be to continue the historic American project of
helping to extend stability, security, prosperity, and democracy to all of
Europe and Eurasia. The objective of all Presidents since World War II, both
Democratic and Republican, has been to work with Europe to realize a joint
vision of a Europe whole, free, and at peace. One of the ways the United States
seeks to further this goal is through our critical partnerships in Europe -
which include the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), the European Union
(EU), and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE). NATO Also at the Summit, Allies welcomed
Albania and Croatia as NATO’s newest members, reinforcing the message that
NATO’s door remains open. The United States joined Allies in welcoming France’s
return, after over 40 years, to the integrated NATO military command structure.
France’s full participation in NATO is a symbol of a renewed European
commitment to NATO. Finally, Allies selected former Danish Prime Minister
Rasmussen as the next Secretary General of NATO, to lead the reform of the
Alliance so that it retains the flexibility and resources required to meet the
new challenges of our time. The United States also remains
unequivocally committed to our Article 5 commitment; we will not waiver from
the enduring premise that an attack against one is an attack against all. As
NATO Heads of State and Government reaffirmed at the Summit in Strasbourg-Kehl,
“the strong collective defense of our populations, territory, and forces is the
core purpose of the Alliance and remains our most important security task.” We
will continue to support adequate planning, exercises, and training to ensure
NATO has the capabilities to remain as relevant to the security of Allied
populations in the 21stcentury as it was in
the 20st century. Some of the most pivotal outcomes of
the Strasbourg-Kehl Summit dealt with Afghanistan. On March 27, the President
announced a new strategy for ensuring vital U.S. national interests in
Afghanistan and Pakistan. This strategy for the first time integrates our
civilian and military efforts in both countries, with the goal of disrupting,
dismantling, and defeating al-Qaeda and eliminating its safe-havens. The
Alliance unanimously endorsed this new strategy in Strasbourg. While the Summit
was not a pledging conference, Allies and partners committed to provide 3000
new forces for Afghan election security and over a thousand new trainers,
troops and civilians to support this new strategy. These new contributions will
support political growth and security transformation in Afghanistan and
contribute to regional stability. Despite all of these positive
developments, I do not wish to understate the enormity of the challenges we
face – or the consequences of failure. Although Allies and Partners currently
contribute over 32,000 troops to the NATO-led International Security Assistance
Force in Afghanistan (ISAF), we look forward to their additional contributions
in the form of troops, civilian assistance or funds. The UK, Germany, Canada,
France, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, and Turkey provide especially valuable
support to the Afghanistan mission. Allied troops are deployed throughout
Afghanistan, although some nations continue to impose “caveats” that restrict
where their troops can go and what missions they can conduct. Our commanders in
the field have asked for maximum flexibility in deploying Allied troops
assigned to ISAF, and we continue to press Allies to eliminate caveats. The
United States currently provides approximately 29,000 troops to ISAF. Most of
our additional deployments will also come under ISAF. We recognize that there is not a
purely military solution to the conflict, and that we must complement the
security NATO provides by increasing international civilian assistance to
Afghanistan. In partnership with the NSC, Special Representative for
Afghanistan and Pakistan Richard Holbrooke is leading the overall effort for
the Administration and has assembled an interagency team in Washington to
coordinate with our military and to implement the President’s new strategy more
effectively. EU Another increasingly important
partnership for the United States is with the European Union, which has become
one of our most crucial partners in addressing regional and global challenges
in Europe and around the world. Our priorities for U.S.-EU cooperation cover
almost all major U.S. foreign policy concerns including: energy security,
climate change, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iran, and the Middle East. The President
raised each of these issues with his European counterparts at the April 5 EU
Summit in Prague. He also assured them that the United States will be a ready
partner on all these issues. We are listening to our European
partners and consulting with them closely, but also calling on them to bear
their fair share of responsibilities for defending and promoting our common
interests. During the Swedish EU Presidency that will begin on July 1, we look
forward to continued close, results-oriented U.S.-EU cooperation. In July, I
will meet with counterparts from the 27 EU member states, the European
Commission, and the Council Secretariat. The United States and the EU have the
largest economic relationship in the world. Together, we generate 60 percent of
world GDP. We will continue to work with the EU to promote the growth of our
own market and support free trade and open investment around the world through
the Transatlantic Economic Council. We will also cooperate with the EU to
mitigate the effects of climate change, an issue that is now front and center
in our foreign policy. The Department’s Special Envoy for Climate Change, Todd
Stern, will work with our partners in Europe and around the globe to craft
environmentally sound, scientifically driven, and pragmatic solutions to the
world’s toughest environmental challenges and to lay the foundation for a
successful outcome at this December’s UN climate conference in Copenhagen. The EU also shares our concerns on
security issues, such as Iran, including its nuclear activities, support for
terrorism, and the domestic human rights situation. The EU-3 (France, Germany,
and the United Kingdom) have worked closely with us in the P5+1 (the permanent
members of the UN Security Council and Germany), while EU High Representative
for the Common Foreign and Security Policy Javier Solana has served as the
representative of the P5+1 in direct negotiations with the Iranians on the
nuclear issue. In addition to UN Security Council resolutions, the EU has also
implemented additional autonomous sanctions intended to press the Iranians to
come to the negotiating table. The United States and the EU are
coordinating closely on providing significant financial, political, and
military support for Afghanistan and Pakistan. Among other priorities, we are
working to alleviate the refugee situation in Pakistan, and to monitor upcoming
elections and train police in Afghanistan. The EU is also a crucial partner in
our efforts to bring peace to the Middle East. As the largest donor to the Palestinian
people, the EU worked closely with us earlier this year on the resolution of
the conflict in Gaza, and it has consistently been a strong partner for us
within the Quartet (the United States, Russia, the EU, and the UN). The EU has
offered to reactivate and expand its dormant Gaza border monitoring mission
while maintaining an ongoing police and rule of law training mission in the
West Bank designed to complement our own efforts to improve the capabilities of
the Palestinian security forces. Energy is increasingly at the heart
of U.S. and European security concerns. The mutual focus on energy independence
and new energy technologies – combined with the ongoing Russia-Ukraine gas
issues, energy price volatility, the financial crisis and ongoing climate
negotiations – necessitates deeper transatlantic energy cooperation. We are
committed to working with the EU to develop access to alternative sources of
gas, such as the Southern Corridor, which could tap into Caspian and Middle
Eastern supplies, delivering gas to many of Europe’s most vulnerable markets.
European energy security is strengthened when prices for natural gas, a key
strategic commodity, are determined by market rather than monopoly forces.
Increasing such market efficiencies requires greater competition in European
gas markets through increased diversified supplies of gas from the Caspian
region and Iraq, as well as via liquefied natural gas; interconnections of
European natural gas networks; and application of European competition policy to
prevent manipulation of gas prices. The President appointed Ambassador Richard
Morningstar to be Special Envoy for Eurasian Energy and has asked him to take
the lead in coordinating our work with Europe to enhance and strengthen our
cooperation to address European energy security. OSCE G-20 We also continue to work closely with
our European partners through the G-20. At the April G-20 London Summit, the
United States and the EU committed to steps that will address the global
financial crisis. We are now following through on those commitments, which
include strengthening international financial institutions, including the
International Monetary Fund and the Multilateral Development Banks, in
preparation for the next meeting of G-20 leaders in Pittsburgh this September.
Together with the other G-20 participants, we are resisting protectionism and
promoting global trade and investment. Europe Whole Free
& at Peace Over two decades ago, the United
States set out a vision for working with our European allies and partners on a
Europe whole, free, and at peace, extending the zone of peace and prosperity
throughout all of Europe. Many Central and Eastern European countries are now
full members of NATO and the EU – this reality is one of Europe’s most
significant post-Cold War accomplishments. Yet we still have unfinished
business in extending that vision and prosperity to Europe’s south and east.
Critical challenges remain, and only through collective action will we continue
to make progress. The global economic crisis has
created additional pressures on our European friends and Allies and particular
challenges for accomplishing our shared objectives in Europe and around the
world. Europe’s stability and prosperity affect its strength as a global
partner of the United States. Economic uncertainty may also aggravate Europe’s
internal questions of identity, including those related to immigration, race,
globalization, and trade. The economic crisis has hit certain parts of Europe
especially hard, and we may very well see conditions get worse before they get
better. Still, we must not allow this crisis to derail the critical work of
pursuing a Europe whole, free, and at peace. Our collective security objectives
will not be reached by decreasing capacities or turning increasingly inward. On
the contrary, we must continue to make the case to our friends and Allies that,
despite the devastating effects of the economic crisis, the many global and
security challenges we face are too critical to ignore. The United States seeks to help
Armenia strengthen its security and prosperity by settling Armenia’s conflict
with Azerbaijan over Nagorno-Karabakh and by encouraging Turkey and Armenia to
normalize their relations. We believe these two processes should proceed
separately, but in parallel, and at different speeds. Armenia and Turkey
announced in their April 22 joint statement they had “agreed on a comprehensive
framework for the normalization of their bilateral relations.” This represents
an historic opportunity as Turkey and Armenia are closer than ever before to
normalizing relations and re-opening their border. Meanwhile, the United States
has helped invigorate progress towards a Nagorno-Karabakh settlement through its
mediation as a Co-chair of the OSCE’s Minsk Group. The meetings of Armenian
President Sargsian and Azerbaijani President Aliyev on May 7 in Prague and June
4 in St. Petersburg cleared the way to accelerate efforts to finalize a
framework agreement by the end of 2009. We also seek to advance democratic and
market economic reform in Armenia, including through the Millennium Challenge
Corporation Compact with Armenia. Azerbaijan Azerbaijan is an important partner of
the United States on regional security (especially counterterrorism) and on
helping our European allies diversify their supplies of natural gas. Azerbaijan
also exports nearly one million barrels of oil per day to global markets via
the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline, free from geographic chokepoints (such as the
Turkish Straits and the Straits of Hormuz) and from monopolistic pressures. As
noted above, the United States has helped generate new progress toward a
settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. Our U.S. Co-chair of the OSCE’s
Minsk Group, Deputy Assistant Secretary Matt Bryza, joined his Russian and
French colleagues in facilitating five meetings between Presidents Sargsian and
Aliyev over the past year. Secretary Clinton has been personally engaged in a
series of discussions with Azerbaijani and Armenian leaders, including meetings
with Foreign Ministers Mammadyarov and Nalbandian in Washington on May 5. I made
my first trip to the Caucasus last week, where I visited Armenia, Azerbaijan
and Georgia to pursue our objectives in the region. Cyprus Supporting Macedonia’s integration
into NATO and the EU remains a vital element in our efforts to promote peace
and stability in the Balkans. As Allies reaffirmed at the Strasbourg-Kehl
Summit, Macedonia will join NATO as soon the name issue is resolved. We would
like to see this issue resolved soon. To that end, and in keeping with
longstanding U.S. policy, we support a mutually acceptable solution to
Macedonia’s name through the ongoing UN process led by Ambassador Nimetz.
Deputy Secretary Steinberg delivered that message personally during his visits
to Athens and Skopje in May. Bosnia and
Herzegovina In his recent trip to Bosnia and
Herzegovina, Vice President Biden made clear our continuing commitment to help
the country overcome its wartime legacy and transition to a modern state that
can join NATO and the EU. To do so, Bosnia’s leaders must abandon divisive
rhetoric and actions that threaten or violate the Dayton Peace Agreement, which
remains the foundation for stability. Reforms that have been achieved must be
protected, state-level institutions must be strengthened, and attempts to
undermine them must stop. Bosnia’s leaders must work across
ethnic lines to reach compromises on governmental reforms that will enable the
country to meet its Euro-Atlantic aspirations. Recently, while in Bosnia, Vice
President Biden and EU High Representative for Common Foreign and Security
Policy Javier Solana stressed that Bosnia’s future is in Europe, and it is
natural that the EU will take on a greater role in guiding the reform process
consistent with EU accession requirements. But before the Office of the High
Representative can transition to an EU Special Representative, the so called
“five plus two” reform agenda of outstanding Dayton implementation and state
building objectives and conditions must be completed. Serbia The Vice President also met with
Serbian President Tadic, Prime Minister Cvetkovic, and Defense Minister
Sutanovac to stress the Administration’s intent to reinvigorate the
relationship. He made clear that, despite our differences over Kosovo, we have
extensive common interests, and the United States stands ready to support
Serbia as it moves towards full integration into European and Euro-Atlantic
institutions. This includes strengthened ties and membership in the European
Union and closer cooperation with NATO, including eventual membership when
Serbia is ready. The Vice President stressed that Serbia must uphold its
commitment to work with the international community on practical humanitarian
matters in Kosovo that will help improve the lives of all of Kosovo’s citizens,
including ethnic Serbs. Belgrade’s full cooperation with the EU rule of law
mission remains a key element in this. Vice President Biden also emphasized
that we expect Serbia to continue its efforts to capture and extradite to The
Hague the remaining war crimes fugitives Ratko Mladic and Goran Hadzic. Montenegro Montenegro is a new democracy,
strongly committed to integration into Euro-Atlantic institutions, including
NATO and the EU. In his May trip to Montenegro, Deputy Secretary Steinberg
reaffirmed our strong support for Montenegro's NATO and EU aspirations and
encouraged the government to continue to play a stabilizing role in the region.
He also stressed the need to step up efforts to strengthen rule of law, as well
as transparency and accountability in government. Kosovo Kosovo’s success as an independent
state within its current borders remains a critically important factor for
stability in the Balkans. Yesterday (June 15th), Kosovo celebrated the
one-year anniversary of the establishment of its constitution, and it has made
tremendous progress during the sixteen months since its independence. Kosovo’s
independence is irreversible. To date, sixty countries from around the world
have formally recognized Kosovo. The shareholders of the International Monetary
Fund and World Bank also recently voted to admit Kosovo as a member. Membership
in these international financial institutions will help Kosovo’s efforts to
achieve economic stability and prosperity for the benefit of all its citizens. Kosovo’s leadership is upholding its
commitments to build a multiethnic democracy, with far-reaching protections for
Kosovo Serb and other minority communities. The government has demonstrated
Kosovo is willing and able to play a constructive role as a responsible member
of the international community. Of course, much work remains as Kosovo’s
leaders build for the future. The United States will support Kosovo as it
re-doubles efforts to build governing capacity, develop a sound economy and
environment for investment, and maintain momentum in creation of a robust,
multi-ethnic democracy. Furthermore, in promoting a peaceful,
united, and democratic Europe and Eurasia, we must strongly support the
sovereignty and independence of all European states, including those that
emerged out of the former Soviet Union. Georgia The United States
strongly supports Georgia’s territorial integrity and sovereignty and its
commitment to further democratic reform. We must work with our international
partners, including the UN, OSCE and EU, to improve the security and
humanitarian situation throughout Georgia and to increase international access
to the separatist regions of South Ossetia and Abkhazia. We will maintain
solidarity with the international community in refusing to recognize the
independence of these separatist regions of Georgia. We regret that Russia
blocked the extension of the OSCE and UN missions in Georgia. EU monitors play
a crucial role in defusing tension along the administrative border between
South Ossetia and the rest of Georgia. On June 22, 2009, Secretary Clinton and
Foreign Minister Vashadze will chair the inaugural meeting of the U.S.-Georgia
Strategic Partnership Council, based on the charter our two countries concluded
in January 2009, which reaffirms our commitment to deepen cooperation with
Georgia. Ukraine The United States is committed to
insuring a prosperous, democratic, and independent Ukraine by helping
consolidate its democratic institutions and continue reforms. It is important
for Ukraine’s leaders to work together to address its serious economic crisis
as well, including taking all necessary steps to implement the $16.4 billion
IMF Standby Program. The United States
strongly supports the right of both Ukraine and Georgia to pursue their
membership aspirations in NATO. To achieve NATO membership, both countries must
complete rigorous reforms to meet NATO’s performance-based standards. Under the
auspices of the NATO-Ukraine and NATO-Georgia Commissions, Allies, including
the United States, are working with both countries to provide concrete advice,
assistance, and practical support to help guide these efforts. Moldova A country that has been a concern
recently is Moldova, where repeat parliamentary elections will take place after
the parliament failed to elect a president. We will urge the Government of
Moldova to conduct the elections in a fair and transparent manner, seriously
addressing concerns raised about the conduct of the previous parliamentary
elections, including accurate voter lists and a free and independent media.
This would increase confidence in Moldova’s democratic institutions and
demonstrate that Moldova remains on a path of reform and democratic
development. We will continue to work for a negotiated settlement of the
separatist conflict in the Transnistria region that provides for a whole and
democratic Moldova and the withdrawal of Russian forces. Belarus In Belarus, we will encourage the
regime to emerge from isolation and to respect the Belarusian people’s basic
rights and democratic aspirations through undertaking genuine political and
economic reform. Our assistance program in Belarus complements these goals. Russia As we work to promote security,
prosperity and democracy across Eurasia, the Obama Administration is committed
to reinvigorating our relations with Russia and looks forward to building a
relationship based on respect and mutual cooperation. President Obama and
President Medvedev met in London on April 1, where they reaffirmed that
Washington and Moscow share common visions of many of the threats and
opportunities in the world today. The two presidents’ joint declaration
recognized that more unites us than divides us. The task is now to translate
that sentiment into actual achievements as we look ahead to a July summit in
Moscow. We also share major common interests
and will work together on these important areas. In this regard, Presidents
Obama and Medvedev agreed to develop a robust agenda for bilateral cooperation,
agreeing to work together on a variety of issues, including reducing strategic
nuclear weapons and enhancing nuclear security, and to cooperate on such issues
as counterterrorism, counternarcotics, Iran, North Korea, the environment,
strengthening civil society, and the global economic crisis. We also appreciate
the Russian decision to allow non-lethal transit through their territory to
assist international efforts in Afghanistan, a mission that has clear security
implications for Russia and an area that offers the United States and Russia
more common ground on which to constructively work together in the future. Another part of that agenda will be
the negotiation of a follow-on agreement to the START treaty, which is set to
expire on December 5, 2009. So far, there have been two rounds of productive
meetings in May and June. The negotiators are charged with reporting their
progress to the Presidents during their meeting in Moscow in July. Russia and the United States bear a
special responsibility for the future safety of the world. We are working very
hard together to find practical solutions, including through the UN Conference
on Disarmament, the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty, Cooperative Threat Reduction
programs, and the Global Initiative to Combat Nuclear Terrorism. One of the outstanding issues we face
is the drift in relations between Russia and the NATO alliance, as well as the
weakening of European security structures triggered by Russia's suspension of
its implementation of the Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe. At the
OSCE ministerial in Corfu, we will discuss ways to strengthen European
security. We are pleased that the NATO-Russia Council will also meet at the
ministerial level on the margins to resume dialogue and refocus on areas of
shared interest. The Secretary spoke about an “all weather” forum for dialogue
where areas of common interest and grave importance to our shared and global
security can always be discussed. We welcome a dialogue with Russia in the OSCE
about its ideas for a new European security architecture. We remain committed
to working through and improving existing structures and mechanisms for joint
cooperation on European security. The OSCE will serve as an important forum for
such a discussion, as the sole multilateral organization in Europe that brings
us all together on equal terms. Western Europe As we recognize the many challenges
that we face in spreading security, prosperity, and democracy to South and
Eastern Europe, it is also important that we recognize and continue to work
with our traditional friends and allies in Europe’s West. The United States enjoys some of its
closest and most productive partnerships with the countries in this region.
President Obama made two visits to reinforce these relationships in the first
five months of his presidency. Our Allies throughout Europe share an enduring
set of common interests and values with us and they also possess the ability to
bring real assets to the table – diplomatic, financial, and military – for
joint action to promote and defend those interests. The United States is
grateful to all of these countries and our NATO partners in other regions such
as Australia for their significant contributions to the joint mission in
Afghanistan, and looks forward to continuing our close cooperation as we begin
implementing the new strategy there. Sixty years ago, our nations came together
to fight a common enemy that threatened the freedom of the citizens of Europe.
Today, we continue to work together with these important Allies on many new and
emerging threats. Global Cooperation Finally, let me address several
specific issues, some old and others very new, which pose significant
challenges to the United States and our transatlantic friends. As President
Obama said on his first trip to Europe, “America can't meet our global
challenges alone; nor can Europe meet them without America.” Foreign Assistance Our assistance is
essential to bolstering the efforts of still-fragile reformers like Ukraine,
Georgia, and Moldova to integrate into Euro-Atlantic institutions. In the Balkans, our Fiscal Year
2010 request to Congress represents a re-balancing of aid levels to maintain
robust funding for Kosovo, to increase aid to consolidate progress in Albania
and Macedonia, to strengthen reforms in Serbia, and to ensure that Bosnia and
Herzegovina gets back on the path to Euro-Atlantic integration. We are seeking
additional resources to prevent or reverse further democratic backsliding in
places like Belarus, Azerbaijan, and Armenia. In Russia, we focus on programs
to promote democratic development and human rights to enhance cooperation with
Moscow to counter nuclear proliferation, terrorism, and global health scourges. Our military assistance to Europe and
Eurasia, for which we seek to restore funding following sharp cuts in 2008 and
2009, pays us dividends by building new capabilities in countries that support
our security operations abroad, including Afghanistan, and by improving the
professionalism of European forces, and developing their interoperability with
NATO. Public Diplomacy One of the most important components
of global cooperation in the 21st century is our Public
Diplomacy strategy. That involves being able to effectively communicate with
European governments and publics in a way that creates an understanding of our
policy objectives, lays the groundwork for concerted action with European
partners beyond Europe’s borders, and engages Europe’s young generation of
“first time voters” to create a sense of common values and purpose with the
United States. To do this, the Department is engaged in rapid and targeted
delivery of policy messages to meet ever-shorter news cycles; developing
innovative uses of new media to engage youth audiences; expanding programs that
invite dialogue – listening as well as talking; and creating new exchange
programs that allow us to engage Europe’s future leaders, and in expanding our
use of our soft power tools, like culture and sports, to open doors and begin
dialogue. Another crucial aspect of our
strategy is to engage constructively with Muslim populations in Europe. As
President Obama said during his trip to Turkey in April and in his Cairo speech
earlier this month, the United States seeks a new beginning with Muslims around
the world, one based on mutual interest, mutual respect, and the principles of
justice, progress, tolerance, and the dignity of all human beings. The
Department’s engagement efforts in Europe seek to capitalize on these interests
by improving understanding of the United States, helping to build networks of
European and American Muslims, facilitating improved inter-community relations,
and supporting peaceful grassroots organizations, with a particular focus on
youth outreach. Our approaches are tailored to the different contexts and the
variety of Muslim communities in different countries, and include engagement
with students and community groups, internships, mentoring, exchanges and many
others. Holocaust Issues Yet another aspect of our global
cooperation involves engaging the countries of Europe to help those
still-living survivors of one of the worst genocides in the history of the
world, the Holocaust, achieve some belated justice. The upcoming Conference on
Holocaust Era Assets offers us that opportunity. Former Deputy Treasury
Secretary Stuart Eizenstat will head the U.S. delegation to the Prague
Conference which will address five main themes: immovable (real) property
restitution and compensation, Nazi-confiscated art, Holocaust education and
remembrance, recovery of Judaica, and social welfare needs of Holocaust
survivors. Counterterrorism Another critically important area
where the United States and Europe work increasingly well together is counterterrorism.
Steps taken by European governments, often in concert with us, and ongoing
counterterrorism relationships with European countries have had a direct and
positive impact on the security of the continental United States and our
interests overseas. We cooperate closely on law enforcement, cyber security,
intelligence gathering and information exchange, as well as on international
transport security and border control, and on dealing with the consequence of
terrorist attacks. We also work closely with European governments to freeze
assets and designate individuals and organizations with financial links to
terrorists. Conclusion The United States and Europe share
the important responsibility of leading the international effort to address our
most pressing global challenges. We also share core values – human rights,
democracy and the rule of law – a strong foundation as we work together on our
global agenda of advancing these core values as well as security, prosperity,
and stability to the entire European continent and around the world. We must
continue to embrace this responsibility to lead and recognize that our results
are best, and our partnership strongest, when we work together. Mr. Chairman, Congressman Gallegly,
members of the Committee, I am grateful for the opportunity to speak before you
today, and I welcome the opportunity to respond to your questions.
Washington, DC
June 16, 2009
In April, NATO, the most successful alliance in history, celebrated its 60th Anniversary.
Allies initiated a discussion of the Alliance’s future and tasked the Secretary
General to launch a review of NATO’s Strategic Concept to insure that NATO is
both prepared and equipped to meet the new security challenges of the 21st Century,
including extremism, terrorism, proliferation, insurgency, failed states,
piracy, and cyber threats.
The OSCE is an important regional organization for promoting security defending
human rights, and supporting democratic development throughout Europe and
Eurasia. Our challenge is to reinvigorate the OSCE as a key promoter of
fundamental freedoms, human rights, and civil society as necessary components
of security in the region. The Secretary will initiate a structured dialogue on
priority security issues when she attends the informal OSCE ministerial in
Corfu later this month.
Turkey
Turkey is crucial to success in many of our most important foreign policy
priorities, including stability and prosperity in Afghanistan, Pakistan, and
Iraq, achieving a lasting peace in the Middle East, securing European energy
diversity and resolving frozen conflicts and regional disputes. We support
Turkey’s aspirations for eventual membership in the EU as Turkey advances
reforms that will make it an even stronger partner. We encourage the EU to
reach out to Turkey to demonstrate real prospects for membership. Doing so will
serve as a catalyst for additional internal reforms. We are also encouraging
Turkey to make additional needed reforms required to meet membership criteria,
reforms that will strengthen Turkey’s democracy and economy. We encourage
Turkey to take steps that will bolster its relations with its neighbors by
re-opening the Halki Seminary and normalizing relations with Armenia, including
a candid exploration of the two countries’ sometimes tragic history. We must
also work to resolve outstanding disputes in the Aegean, to reduce prospects
for heightened military tensions in a strategic area. Turkey is also at the
center of U.S. and European Union efforts to diversify European gas supplies by
expanding a “Southern Corridor” of energy infrastructure to transport Caspian
(and eventually Iraqi) gas to Europe.
Armenia
We will also continue to support the current negotiations in Cyprus – led by
the two Cypriot communities under the auspices of the UN Good Offices Mission.
Resolution of the Cyprus problem will have a tremendous impact on the region by
strengthening peace, justice and prosperity on the island, advancing Turkey’s
EU accession, improving NATO-EU cooperation and removing a source of friction
between two NATO Allies, Greece and Turkey. As President Obama said, we are
“willing to offer all the help sought by the parties as they work toward a just
and lasting settlement that reunifies Cyprus into a bizonal and bicommunal
federation.”
Greece
Greece is an important NATO Ally and the people-to-people ties between our
countries run deep, sentiments the President reiterated to Prime Minister
Karamanlis when they met in April. We look forward to working with Greece on a
host of global challenges ranging from piracy to non proliferation. We also
recognize the role Greece plays in important regional issues, including in the
Balkans, the Aegean and Cyprus, and through its current chairmanship of the
OSCE. We support Greece’s application for the Visa Waiver Program, and
together, we are moving the process forward.
Balkans
We are showing renewed leadership in the Balkans where more than a decade after
Western interventions, the forces of democracy, openness, and modernity still
struggle against backward-looking ethnic nationalism and intolerance. In
concert with our European partners, we are intensifying our engagement with the
region’s leaders and pressing for reforms that will advance their states toward
the European mainstream. The Administration places great importance on
completing the task of fully integrating the Balkan region into the Euro-Atlantic
community. However, much work remains to secure a peaceful and prosperous
future for the region.
Macedonia
Eurasia
At the same time that we reinvigorate our relations with Russia, we will not
abandon our principles or ignore concerns about democracy and human rights.
While we look forward to forming a more cooperative partnership with Russia, we
have no illusions that this will be easy or that we will not continue to have
differences. The United States will not recognize a Russian sphere of
influence. The United States will also continue to support the sovereignty and
territorial integrity of Russia’s neighbors. They have the right to make their
own decisions and choose their own alliances. The United States and Russia can
still work together where our interests coincide while seeking to narrow our
differences in an open and mutually respectful way.
An integral part of working with our European partners on global issues is
being a good partner ourselves. Specifically this involves making good on our
foreign assistance commitments and maintaining them in the years to come. The
job we started after the fall of the Berlin Wall – to help nurture democratic
and economic reform among the states of the former Soviet Union -- is far from
over. Many countries in Central and Eastern Europe have been phased out of
foreign assistance, primarily because of their membership in the EU or NATO.
Countries that are still receiving our help in making the democratic transition
arguably present an even tougher challenge today, especially during a global
economic downturn. U.S. foreign assistance invests in American security by
contributing to European security and helping build stable and full
participants in the transatlantic community.
Engagement
with Muslims in Europe