Close Co-operation between European Union and United States is Cornerstone of European Security
03.11.2008
Foreign Minister Urmas Paet participated in the informal Gymnich meeting of European Union foreign ministers in Marseille, France on Monday, 3 November.
The foreign policy leaders discussed the future of relations between the European Union and the United States of America. The foreign ministers emphasised the Middle East peace process, international security, the topics of Afghanistan and Pakistan, and the EU’s relations with Russia as important areas for co-operation.
In talking about relations with Russia, Foreign Minister Paet noted that the EU and USA together must find an effective way to develop a unified policy towards Russia. “During the Georgia conflict we were able to speak to Russia with one voice, and we should continue to do so,” said Foreign Minister Paet. “Continuing close co-operation between the European Union and the USA will be important also after tomorrow’s presidential election in America,” he noted, and added that the EU, in co-operation with the USA, must demand that Russia adhere to international rights principles.
Within the context of transatlantic relations, the situations in Afghanistan and Pakistan were also discussed. Foreign Minister Paet stated that effective EU-USA co-operation is necessary to control the security situation in Afghanistan, especially on its border with Pakistan. “The stability of Afghanistan’s and Pakistan’s borders and the security situation there are closely tied. Because of this, the operations of those nations as well as the European Union and United States must be unified,” said Foreign Minister Paet. “However, the solution to the Afghanistan issue is not only military. It is also necessary to continue building up the nation and battling corruption,” he added.
The EU foreign ministers also discussed matters related to international security. The Estonian foreign minister asserted that close and effective partnership between the European Union and the United States is the cornerstone of global security. “In the interest of global security, we also must make multilateral co-operation more effective, such as in NATO,” said Paet. The ministers noted that it is necessary to improve the UN’s conflict regulation and resolution capabilities for the sake of the safety of the international community.
Gymnich is the 2-day informal meeting of the foreign ministers of the European Union which gets its name from the Gymnich castle near Bonn, where the first meeting of its kind took place.
