FROM: U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT
Remarks at the U.S.-Georgia Strategic Partnership Commission Plenary Session
Remarks
John Kerry
Secretary of State
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili
Ben Franklin Room
Washington, DC
February 26, 2014
SECRETARY KERRY: Well, good morning, everybody. It’s my great pleasure and privilege to welcome Prime Minister Garibashvili from Georgia and our esteemed Georgian colleagues. Thank you all for being here with us for this dialogue that will take place today, and we are very happy to participate in the Fourth Strategic Partnership Commission Plenary Session. And we’ve just had a very good bilateral meeting in which we’ve discussed a host of issues ranging from the economic challenges to Georgia, the external challenges to Georgia, and we ranged as far as, obviously, the Association Agreement with Europe and the challenge of Ukraine, and other issues in the region.
We were going to have some very traditional Georgian dancers come in here to celebrate your arrival, but regrettably the swords and daggers wouldn’t get by the Diplomatic Security, so unable to do that. But we are actually very, very pleased to continue this dialogue. I’ve been to Georgia prior to becoming Secretary of State; I look forward to visiting as Secretary of State. And we’ve had a very strong and important relationship focused on many, many issues, but significant – democracy and rule of law and the transition in Georgia to your recent election. And we’re very pleased now to be able to meet here in Washington and continue a conversation which has been ongoing for some period of time.
It’s fitting that we meet together here in the Ben Franklin Room. That’s Ben Franklin up behind us here. He was our first diplomat, the first ambassador to France. He’s the father of the Foreign Service and a really unrivaled innovator. I think you know that. And the reason why he remains one of the most beloved Americans is because of his frontier spirit and his openness and his ingenuity. Frankly, we see that same kind of open spirit and innovation and frontier spirit in what you are engaged in right now in Georgia. And this year we celebrate 12 years of a strong and ever-growing-stronger relationship between Georgia and the United States. We made a lot of progress, but now we need to build on it, and that’s what we talked about a few minutes ago and will continue in the discussion today.
First, I want to congratulate you on Georgia’s free and fair presidential election in 2013. The transparency and the openness of the process were significant, and we applaud it. You have a chance to build on these achievements by demonstrating now a level playing field during your upcoming local elections. And I think everybody knows that democracies benefit from strong political opposition, so we urge all sides to work constructively to advance the dialogue and debate within Georgia, and that’s just going to make your nation stronger. We’re confident of that.
We also want to reiterate U.S. support for Georgia’s participation in the EU’s Eastern Partnership, and we encourage Georgia to sign an Association Agreement with the EU later this year. Today, I am announcing – and let me just say about that that as we do that, as I have said about Ukraine yesterday with Secretary William Hague, we don’t make that urging for the signing of an association as some sort of zero-sum game between the East and West or between us or any other party. We simply want people to be able to exercise their freedom of choice and be able to maximize their economic opportunities. And that doesn’t mean that it can’t also involve engagement with others, as we would hope it would, because we are involved in a global trading regime and a global society, and increasingly is impossible for people to operate in exclusionary ways.
Today, I am announcing additional assistance by the United States to help support Georgia’s European and Euro-Atlantic vision; specifically, to help Georgia achieve visa-free travel with the EU and to mitigate the hardships caused by borderization along the occupied territories. We also commend Georgia’s progress on economic reform, and we urge the government to quickly implement its plans to spur trade and investment, including with the United States. Strict adherence to rule of law and a steadfast commitment to the process will encourage the confidence of investors and it will serve as a catalyst for integration with Europe and enhance Georgia’s international reputation. We urge all Georgians to unite in looking forward and to leave the past in the past.
The United States remains committed to strengthening our trade and investment with Georgia – particularly important as we pursue trade negotiations with the EU. And we also support your efforts to become a regional trade hub, which will require continued infrastructure improvements and sustained regional cooperation.
Our enhanced defense cooperation is ongoing, and we commend Georgia’s contribution as the largest non-NATO troop contributor in Afghanistan, serving alongside United States Marines in Helmand Province and standing ready to contribute to the alliance’s post-2014 mission. We honor the extraordinary sacrifices of Georgian soldiers and their families, and we will continue to work with you to develop the capacity to care and support for your wounded.
We stand by the Bucharest decision and all subsequent decisions that Georgia will become a member of NATO. The United States will work to make sure that Georgia’s progress is acknowledged by all members of this year’s NATO Summit.
We support your reconciliation efforts in an effort to achieve a peaceful and a just resolution to the conflicts of Georgia. The United States remains steadfast in our support for Georgia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. We continue to object to Russia’s occupation, militarization, and borderization of Georgian territory, and we call on Russia to fulfill its obligations under the 2008 ceasefire agreement, including the withdrawal of its forces and free access for humanitarian assistance.
Lastly and most importantly, our relationship is founded on a close connection between our people. Building on your health minister’s participation in the recent Global Health Security Initiative, we look forward to sharing medical best practices in order to promote public health. The United States supports efforts to help preserve Georgia’s rich cultural heritage though the U.S. Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation and the International Visitor Leadership Program.
Given Georgia’s many achievements in just over two decades and our close and growing cooperation in a large number of areas, I am confident that our relationship will not just endure, but it’s going to grow. It’s going to flourish in the years to come. And as we approach the challenges ahead together, we can take confidence in what we have already achieved together. Our strategic partnership is stronger than ever, thanks in no small part to the work that we have done as part of this commission and the work that we will continue in the discussion today.
So Mr. Prime Minister, it’s my great privilege to welcome you here. Thank you for being with us. We look forward to working with you as you meet the many challenges that you face, and look forward to growing this partnership. Thank you.
PRIME MINISTER GARIBASHVILI: Thank you very much, Mr. Secretary. Thank you very much, and I’d like to thank you for your personal engagement and for your personal support to Georgia.
Your Excellency, ladies and gentlemen, it is my great pleasure to – and privilege to address the distinguished audience on such an important occasion at the Fourth U.S.-Georgia Strategic Charter Omnibus Plenary Session in the margins of my first visit to United States in this capacity of prime minister of Georgia. I am very honored to underline that the people and the Government of Georgia are in perfect unison in considering the United States of America as our foremost partner.
From the very outset, let me express heartfelt gratitude for your unwavering commitment to the sovereignty, territorial integrity, security, democratic consolidation in NATO and EU membership aspirations of my country. And your support provides a powerful stimulus to our resolve to proceed in the often uphill but honorable task of strengthening democracy, especially in our challenging region, and especially when more than 20 percent of Georgia territory remains under Russian occupation.
Likewise, we are proud to say that Georgia has always stood adamantly next to the United States in every single situation when a strategic decision was required to be a U.S. ally, and we are proud of those decisions. Let me reiterate that we attach critical importance to our strategic partnership with the United States, with the charter as the main framework of our comprehensive, cross-dimensional agenda of cooperation. The virtually all-encompassing nature of all the four working groups – democracy and governance, security and defense, economy and energy, and trade and people-to-people and cultural exchanges – duly reflect up in the range of our cooperative endeavors. Georgia-U.S. relations are being developed in a gradual and consistent manner in these four major areas.
But let me step back to say that we have already achieved substantial progress in all spheres of our bilateral cooperation. While first of all Georgia and the United States enjoy successful cooperation in security and defense, we are actually making progress in fulfilling President Barack Obama’s pledge to bolster our cooperation aimed at enhancing Georgia’s defense capabilities. It is also important that we are consistently broadening scopes of our enhanced defense cooperation. The United States support enables us to significantly progress in defense transformation process. In fact, NATO has been vocal in duly crediting Georgia for successful defense and security reforms, and as a reliable ally and security provider, we remain firm on our full-fledged commitment to the NATO-led ISAF mission in Afghanistan, much like the post-ISAF mission. We will commence our participation in the NATO Response Force in 2015 and in 2016 with the assistance of our American friends.
Herewith, I would like to thank the United States for outstanding support provided to our wounded warriors. This is extremely important for us. As you know, Washington’s political and financial engagement was always critical. We thankfully recall that United States was the first among our close friends to donate one billion U.S. dollars in aid to the people of Georgia after the August 2008 war. Furthermore, we have received a large chunk of investment of $140 million through the second MCC compact, which will be effectively spent on improving the quality of education in science, technology, engineering, and math fields. The United States overall strong support and assistance on these and other numerous occasions continued unabated even during the financial challenges. And for the – for that, we sincerely thank our American friends.
We believe that Georgia’s continued close consultations with United States on the High Level Trade and Investment Dialogue are essential for bolstering bilateral trade and investment, including the possibility of U.S.-Georgia free trade agreement, and for that end, we expect to carry out – carry on our negotiations on the high level. And we will spare no effort to make substantial advancement.
Also, we hope that our American colleagues will be as swift and highly responsive to these as ever. For the moment, we will be consistent in utilizing Georgia’s outstanding potential and realistic aspiration for growth in its transformation into original business, trade, and logistic hub. As you know, the country is blessed with exceptionally advantageous location and potential to turning to the gateway linking Europe with lucrative Chinese markets through the Caspian Sea in the Central Asia regions. And we are devoted to this idea and plan to underpin these ambitions by continuous improvement to our transportation infrastructure and elimination of regulatory bottlenecks to trade via the region.
Let me say that U.S. aid has always played an important role in various directions, and we welcome their latest decision to select Georgia among those 20 countries’ participation in these – in the Science, Technology, Innovation, and Partnership program. And undoubtedly, this is going to further enhance my country’s overall development in the vital areas.
Let me say this offer is well noted and very much appreciated. Our people-to-people relations have already brought about numerous tangible outcomes, one of them being the U.S. decision to further extend the visa validity terms for various categories of Georgian citizens. Moreover, many more young people now intensively benefit from the educational exchange programs, and we’re extremely grateful for that. And while looking ahead, we thank our American partners for these achievements and continue to explore other potential areas of cooperation for further success.
And to conclude, Mr. Secretary, I would like to express my firm confidence that our cooperation will progress further. In addition to many a common interest between our states, we are united first and foremost by the shared values between the two nations. And I do believe that our existing and prospective avenues of partnership are destined to succeed.
Once again, thank you very much.
SECRETARY KERRY: Well, thank you very, very much, Mr. Prime Minister. If you’d just take one minute.
I appreciate – I think our comments mutually dovetail, which is no surprise, and I think we’re on the same track. So hopefully, this economic vision and the security vision that you express is something that we can flesh out a little more in the course of the dialogue that will continue this morning.
Let me just say that I think in my opening comments, I shortchanged our relationship by ten years. I think it’s 22 years, not 12 years, which is more a reflection on my eyesight than on anything else. (Laughter.) But I appreciate --
PRIME MINISTER GARIBASHVILI: Thank you.
SECRETARY KERRY: -- very, very much your being here. I do look forward to getting there. I think we’re trying to figure out some time in the spring, and I think between now and then, we have some work to do and I look forward to doing that with you. So thank you for --
PRIME MINISTER GARIBASHVILI: No, thank you.
SECRETARY KERRY: -- taking the time to be with us today, appreciate it.
I think what we’re going to do now is ask the press if they would take their leave so that we can have the discussion that is going to follow from this, and we thank you all for being here with us.
Showing posts with label EU. Show all posts
Showing posts with label EU. Show all posts
Wednesday, February 26, 2014
Saturday, January 18, 2014
SECRETARY OF STATE KERRY, GREEK FOREIGN MINISTER VENIZELOS MAKE REMARKS BEFORE MEETING
FROM: STATE DEPARTMENT
Remarks With Greek Foreign Minister Evangelos Venizelos Before Their Meeting
Remarks
John Kerry
Secretary of State
Treaty Room
Washington, DC
January 17, 2014
SECRETARY KERRY: I’m very pleased to welcome Greek Foreign Minister Venizelos here to Washington. We have met but we have not had a chance to be able to get together like this, and it’s my pleasure to welcome him here. I want to congratulate Greece on assuming the EU presidency, and we look forward very much to working with them in that role, but also in continuing the path towards economic recovery. We know that it has been very, very difficult. Tough decisions had to be made. It is never easy politically. Those choices were made, and I think it is improving. And step by step, we want to continue to not only work on that, but on our superb cooperation with respect to counterterrorism, the Balkans, the Middle East. There are a host of issues where we share common interests.
I do want to say one word quickly about the events that took place yesterday in Ukraine. The legislation that was rammed through the Rada without transparency and accountability violates all the norms of the OSCE and the EU. We believe deeply that the people of Ukraine want to affiliate and want to be associated with Europe and they want to turn in that direction. And the steps that were taken yesterday are anti-democratic, they’re wrong, they are taking from the people of Ukraine their choice and their opportunity for the future. So we will continue to stay focused on this issue, but this kind of anti-democratic maneuver is extremely disturbing and should be a concern to every nation that wants to see the people of Ukraine be able to not only express their wish but see it executed through the political process.
Mr. Minister, thank you.
FOREIGN MINISTER VENIZELOS: John, thank you very much for this kind invitation. This is a great opportunity for me to discuss directly with you a few days after the official opening of the rotating presidency of Greece in the European Union, on the Council of the European Union. This presidency, historically speaking, the fifth after the Greek accession to the European family, is a great opportunity for Greece to show the face of an ordinary European country, of a country beyond the crisis. Without doubt, the main Greek national problem is the crisis, and the national reconstruction after this very tough experience of the recession and of the unemployment.
But on the field of the foreign and security policy, Greece is always a factor of stability for our area, for the Western Balkan, for the Eastern Mediterranean Sea. And on this basis we serve the same values, the same views, and we have the possibility to organize our further cooperation as friends and allies. Thank you indeed very much for this opportunity.
SECRETARY KERRY: Thank you very, very much. Thank you.
Remarks With Greek Foreign Minister Evangelos Venizelos Before Their Meeting
Remarks
John Kerry
Secretary of State
Treaty Room
Washington, DC
January 17, 2014
SECRETARY KERRY: I’m very pleased to welcome Greek Foreign Minister Venizelos here to Washington. We have met but we have not had a chance to be able to get together like this, and it’s my pleasure to welcome him here. I want to congratulate Greece on assuming the EU presidency, and we look forward very much to working with them in that role, but also in continuing the path towards economic recovery. We know that it has been very, very difficult. Tough decisions had to be made. It is never easy politically. Those choices were made, and I think it is improving. And step by step, we want to continue to not only work on that, but on our superb cooperation with respect to counterterrorism, the Balkans, the Middle East. There are a host of issues where we share common interests.
I do want to say one word quickly about the events that took place yesterday in Ukraine. The legislation that was rammed through the Rada without transparency and accountability violates all the norms of the OSCE and the EU. We believe deeply that the people of Ukraine want to affiliate and want to be associated with Europe and they want to turn in that direction. And the steps that were taken yesterday are anti-democratic, they’re wrong, they are taking from the people of Ukraine their choice and their opportunity for the future. So we will continue to stay focused on this issue, but this kind of anti-democratic maneuver is extremely disturbing and should be a concern to every nation that wants to see the people of Ukraine be able to not only express their wish but see it executed through the political process.
Mr. Minister, thank you.
FOREIGN MINISTER VENIZELOS: John, thank you very much for this kind invitation. This is a great opportunity for me to discuss directly with you a few days after the official opening of the rotating presidency of Greece in the European Union, on the Council of the European Union. This presidency, historically speaking, the fifth after the Greek accession to the European family, is a great opportunity for Greece to show the face of an ordinary European country, of a country beyond the crisis. Without doubt, the main Greek national problem is the crisis, and the national reconstruction after this very tough experience of the recession and of the unemployment.
But on the field of the foreign and security policy, Greece is always a factor of stability for our area, for the Western Balkan, for the Eastern Mediterranean Sea. And on this basis we serve the same values, the same views, and we have the possibility to organize our further cooperation as friends and allies. Thank you indeed very much for this opportunity.
SECRETARY KERRY: Thank you very, very much. Thank you.
Wednesday, November 20, 2013
JOINT STATEMENT FOLLOWING EU-US JUSTICE AND HOME AFFAIRS MINISTERIAL MEETING
FROM: U.S. JUSTICE DEPARTMENT
Monday, November 18, 2013
Joint Statement Following the EU-US Justice and Home Affairs Ministerial Meeting
Attorney General Eric Holder and Acting Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Rand Beers today hosted an EU/U.S. Justice and Home Affairs Ministerial with their counterparts in the European Union: Lithuanian Minister of Justice Juozas Bernatonis and Lithuanian Vice Minister of Interior Elvinas Jankevicius representing the Lithuanian Presidency of the Council of the EU; Greek Minister of Justice, Transparency and Human Rights Charalampos Athanasiou representing the incoming Greek Presidency of the EU; and European Commission Vice President Viviane Reding and Commissioner Cecilia Malmström representing the EU Commission.
The U.S. and EU together released the following statement on the meeting:
“Our meeting was constructive and productive. We discussed a broad array of issues critical to the European Union and the United States, including: addressing the problem of sexual abuse of children online; coordinating work on counter-terrorism and security issues; countering violent extremism; expanding cooperation in criminal matters; joint efforts in the areas of cybercrime and cybersecurity; and mobility, migration and border issues. In addition, we discussed the rights of victims of crime, the rights of persons with disabilities and the prosecution of hate crimes.
Of special note, we discussed the threat posed by foreign fighters going to third countries, in particular Syria, and the possible response to address it. We intend to promote close information sharing between our respective agencies, as well as coordinated initiatives in third countries. We also discussed efforts of the U.S. and the EU in countering violent extremism, and agreed to intensify our cooperation.
Our meeting also addressed data protection, and issues related to alleged activities of U.S. intelligence agencies. We together recognize that this has led to regrettable tensions in the transatlantic relationship, which we seek to lessen. In order to protect all our citizens, it is of the utmost importance to address these issues by restoring trust and reinforcing our cooperation on justice and home affairs issues.
The EU and the U.S. are allies. Since 9/11 and subsequent terrorist attacks in Europe, the EU and U.S. have stepped up cooperation, including in the areas of police and criminal justice. Sharing relevant information, including personal data, while ensuring a high level of protection, is an essential element of this cooperation, and it must continue.
We are therefore, as a matter of urgency, committed to advancing rapidly in the negotiations for a meaningful and comprehensive data protection umbrella agreement in the field of law enforcement. The agreement would act as a basis to facilitate transfers of data in the context of police and judicial cooperation in criminal matters, by ensuring a high level of personal data protection for U.S. and EU citizens. We are committed to working to resolve the remaining issues raised by both sides, including judicial redress (a critical issue for the EU). Our aim is to complete the negotiations on the agreement ahead of summer 2014.
We also underline the value of the EU-U.S. Mutual Legal Assistance Agreement. We reiterate our commitment to ensure that it is used broadly and effectively for evidence purposes in criminal proceedings. There were also discussions on the need to clarify that personal data held by private entities in the territory of the other party will not be accessed by law enforcement agencies outside of legally authorized channels. We also agree to review the functioning of the Mutual Legal Assistance Agreement, as contemplated in the Agreement, and to consult each other whenever needed.
We take stock of the work done by the joint EU-U.S. ad hoc Working Group. We underline the importance of the ongoing reviews in the U.S. of U.S. Intelligence collection activities, including the review of activities by the Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board (PCLOB) and the President’s Review Group on Intelligence and Communications Technology (Review Group). The access that has been given to the EU side of the ad hoc Working Group to officials in the U.S. intelligence community, the PCLOB, the Review Group, and U.S. congressional intelligence committees will help restore trust. This included constructive discussions about oversight practices in the U.S. The EU welcomes that the U.S. is considering adopting additional safeguards in the intelligence context that also would benefit EU citizens.
As these ongoing processes continue, they contribute to restoring trust, and to ensuring that we continue our vital law enforcement cooperation in order to protect EU and U.S. citizens.”
Monday, November 18, 2013
Joint Statement Following the EU-US Justice and Home Affairs Ministerial Meeting
Attorney General Eric Holder and Acting Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Rand Beers today hosted an EU/U.S. Justice and Home Affairs Ministerial with their counterparts in the European Union: Lithuanian Minister of Justice Juozas Bernatonis and Lithuanian Vice Minister of Interior Elvinas Jankevicius representing the Lithuanian Presidency of the Council of the EU; Greek Minister of Justice, Transparency and Human Rights Charalampos Athanasiou representing the incoming Greek Presidency of the EU; and European Commission Vice President Viviane Reding and Commissioner Cecilia Malmström representing the EU Commission.
The U.S. and EU together released the following statement on the meeting:
“Our meeting was constructive and productive. We discussed a broad array of issues critical to the European Union and the United States, including: addressing the problem of sexual abuse of children online; coordinating work on counter-terrorism and security issues; countering violent extremism; expanding cooperation in criminal matters; joint efforts in the areas of cybercrime and cybersecurity; and mobility, migration and border issues. In addition, we discussed the rights of victims of crime, the rights of persons with disabilities and the prosecution of hate crimes.
Of special note, we discussed the threat posed by foreign fighters going to third countries, in particular Syria, and the possible response to address it. We intend to promote close information sharing between our respective agencies, as well as coordinated initiatives in third countries. We also discussed efforts of the U.S. and the EU in countering violent extremism, and agreed to intensify our cooperation.
Our meeting also addressed data protection, and issues related to alleged activities of U.S. intelligence agencies. We together recognize that this has led to regrettable tensions in the transatlantic relationship, which we seek to lessen. In order to protect all our citizens, it is of the utmost importance to address these issues by restoring trust and reinforcing our cooperation on justice and home affairs issues.
The EU and the U.S. are allies. Since 9/11 and subsequent terrorist attacks in Europe, the EU and U.S. have stepped up cooperation, including in the areas of police and criminal justice. Sharing relevant information, including personal data, while ensuring a high level of protection, is an essential element of this cooperation, and it must continue.
We are therefore, as a matter of urgency, committed to advancing rapidly in the negotiations for a meaningful and comprehensive data protection umbrella agreement in the field of law enforcement. The agreement would act as a basis to facilitate transfers of data in the context of police and judicial cooperation in criminal matters, by ensuring a high level of personal data protection for U.S. and EU citizens. We are committed to working to resolve the remaining issues raised by both sides, including judicial redress (a critical issue for the EU). Our aim is to complete the negotiations on the agreement ahead of summer 2014.
We also underline the value of the EU-U.S. Mutual Legal Assistance Agreement. We reiterate our commitment to ensure that it is used broadly and effectively for evidence purposes in criminal proceedings. There were also discussions on the need to clarify that personal data held by private entities in the territory of the other party will not be accessed by law enforcement agencies outside of legally authorized channels. We also agree to review the functioning of the Mutual Legal Assistance Agreement, as contemplated in the Agreement, and to consult each other whenever needed.
We take stock of the work done by the joint EU-U.S. ad hoc Working Group. We underline the importance of the ongoing reviews in the U.S. of U.S. Intelligence collection activities, including the review of activities by the Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board (PCLOB) and the President’s Review Group on Intelligence and Communications Technology (Review Group). The access that has been given to the EU side of the ad hoc Working Group to officials in the U.S. intelligence community, the PCLOB, the Review Group, and U.S. congressional intelligence committees will help restore trust. This included constructive discussions about oversight practices in the U.S. The EU welcomes that the U.S. is considering adopting additional safeguards in the intelligence context that also would benefit EU citizens.
As these ongoing processes continue, they contribute to restoring trust, and to ensuring that we continue our vital law enforcement cooperation in order to protect EU and U.S. citizens.”
Wednesday, November 6, 2013
REMARKS BY SECRETARY OF STATE KERRY WITH POLISH FOREIGN MINISTER SIKORSKI
FROM: U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT
Joint Press Availability With Polish Foreign Minister RadosBaw Sikorski
Remarks
John Kerry
Secretary of State
Warsaw, Poland
November 5, 2013
FOREIGN MINISTER SIKORSKI: (Via interpreter) John, welcome to Warsaw and Poland. We’ve known each other for a very long time. I knew you when you weren’t the Secretary of State and I personally wasn’t a Minister of Foreign Affairs with the Republic of Poland, actually. I’m very glad to keep in touch with you, and I mean keep in touch not only when it comes to Syria and our bilateral relations.
Today’s meeting is proof and confirms the good strategic relationship between the United States and Poland. An example of the close link can be the political cooperation and our military cooperation. What’s more, we have common economic interest and we conduct democratic dialogue.
When we recall our common actions, I would like to thank you cordially for your yesterday’s visit. You visited the resting place of Tadeusz Mazowiecki, the first non-communist prime minister of the Republic of Poland, thanks to whom we are where we are, who paved the way for Poland to the EU, to NATO, the way to freedom, the way for Poland to become a secure and safe and wealthier country.
Next year, the summit of NATO takes place in London. We will sum up our joint operations in Afghanistan and we will set directions for further operations of NATO for common security.
As for the topic of Afghanistan, I’d like to say that this topic is personally – it’s very close to me, and I’d like to recall to the Polish media the person of Sergeant Michael Ollis, who on the 28th of August during (inaudible) of a Polish base in Ghazny sacrificed his life to save a Polish soldier. I think this is the best proof of the fact that Poles and Americans are brothers in arms. So my condolences go to the family of Sergeant Ollis. And I’d like to thank you for our military cooperation in Afghanistan.
We have spoken about the ongoing issues that are on the international agenda. John is just returning from the Middle East, but we’ve not only spoken about the southern neighbors of the EU but also about the eastern neighbors of the EU. We are approaching the Eastern Partnership Summit, and there still is the question of signing association agreement with Ukraine.
Poland, for obvious reasons, supports the signing of a free trade agreement between the EU and the U.S. We promised ourselves that we would consult each other in that matters. Poland is one of the countries who think that for the sake of environment and for the sake of our economies in Europe and in Poland, we should explore and produce shale gas, and gas should flow to our NLG terminal also from the United States.
So John, once again a very warm welcome in Poland, and I hope the rest of your visit will be very fruitful. Thank you.
SECRETARY KERRY: Well, Radek, thank you very, very, very much. Witam serdecznie. I’m very honored to be here with all of you, and I am particularly grateful to revisit with my friend, the Foreign Minister of Poland. We have collaborated on a number of different issues and engaged in a number of important and close, constructive dialogues. And he has visited with me in Washington; I’m now privileged to visit with him here. And together we have met at a number of other multilateral meetings.
It’s a pleasure for me to be back in Poland. I’ve had the privilege of being here a number of times, particularly for environmental conferences, and we applaud Poland’s extraordinary leadership with respect to the environment and environmental issues. And it’s no accident that I chose to be here in Poland for my first bilateral meeting in Central Europe. In less than 25 years, since the restoration of democracy, the Polish people have turned the country into an economic and security powerhouse, and the progress that has been made is really quite extraordinary. And the impact of Poland is really felt now throughout the transatlantic community.
Last night, as Radek mentioned, I had the privilege of standing at the gravesite of former (inaudible) Minister Mazowiecki. It was a very moving moment. It was very beautiful in that cemetery with the birch trees and the aroma of the birch trees and the flowers on the graves and the lights of all the various candles. It was really mystical and spiritual, and I was very proud to lay a wreath from the people of the United States to recognize the extraordinary contribution of this man to the cause of freedom and independence and human rights. It is a great story.
I also, knowing the history of this great city and of Poland itself, cannot help but come here with a sense of respect for the remarkable journey of the Polish people. Warsaw – the name Warsaw is associated with so much: the Warsaw Pact, the Warsaw Convention, the Warsaw Uprising. The resistance and the incredible rebuilding of an entire country has come out of the remarkable spirit of the Polish people. And so I feel privileged as an American, and as an American Secretary of State who has great appreciation, having run for President of the United States, for the vast diaspora of the Polish people that contribute to the United States now as Polish Americans.
So I’m glad to come back here, and I am struck by how much has changed in just one generation, and frankly, how much of that change came from the visionary leadership of the Prime Minister, Prime Minister Mazowiecki and also of other great polish leaders whose names are known around the world. Prime Minister Mazowiecki was obviously an advocate for the best of human rights, the best of democracy, and he launched Poland’s extraordinary aspirations that now neighbors and friends around the world can touch and appreciate.
I’m also proud that in this march of progress, the United States and Poland, as allies and friends, continue to promote our shared values and our shared aspirations. And our partnership, quite frankly, is growing stronger because of that.
On the economic side, today the Foreign Minister and I discussed the Transatlantic Trade Investment Partnership, TTIP as it’s known, which can lead to even further economic and political transformation. In addition, as a NATO member now for almost 15 years and as an EU member for nearly 10 years, Poland’s influence in both organizations has grown significantly over that time.
And that is because of the smart choices that the Polish people continue to make. You are opening markets, you are embracing transparency, you are continuing with your defense modernization and building the strength of the country, you are continuing to diversify your energy marketplace, and you are generously supporting the democratic EU and have begun negotiating and recognizing our shared interest in a comprehensive economic agreement that can grow both of our countries and all of the region. Europe and the United States joined together in an economic association would be one of the most powerful economic forces on the planet, and it will raise the standards by which all countries are engaging in economic activity.
Poland is also the largest commercial partner of the United States in Central Europe, and our bilateral trade has quadrupled over the course of the last 10 years. We think we can do even better, and we believe that the TTIP is the key to being able to do that.
On the environmental front, as I mentioned earlier in my comments, Poland is not only hosting the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change for the 19th conference of the parties next week, but Poland continues to send a signal for all of us that we need to demonstrate our commitment to a cleaner energy base and to live up to our responsibilities to lower emissions on a global basis.
As NATO allies, our security partnership, from Afghanistan to Kosovo to Lask, all of these – right here in Poland at the air base – make our relationship even more important and stronger. I look forward to going to Lask later in the day and saluting the work of our armed forces and the work that they accomplish together.
I also want to commend Poland for its $45 billion investment in defense modernization. The United States defense industry, which we believe is the most innovative, creative, and technologically advanced in the world, is going to compete vigorously here with our government in support of the goals and the upgrades that Poland seeks.
Poland is a very important part of the European phased adaptive approach on NATO missile defense, and we will deploy a missile defense site in Poland in the 2018 timeframe.
We’re also enormously proud of our work together to promote democracy on this continent and around the world. I want to commend Minister Sikorski for his tireless efforts in particular for mentoring the Eastern Partnership countries in advance of the meeting in Vilnius. This is a very important opportunity for everybody, and I think Poland has been front and center in its efforts to help advance all of our interests through that association.
The bottom line is this: Poland is thriving and our alliance is thriving. And I look forward to celebrating here today the economic and security benefits with the leaders of Poland, and I particularly look forward to continuing to grow this partnership. We’re respectful, enormously respectful of the extraordinary history of the people of Poland, of this city, of this region; mindful that we always have to be vigilant. We know that things can change. The march of democracy is important. We believe in it, but it takes work; it takes nurturing. And all of us have a responsibility to continue to do our part in order to live up to the legacy left us by those who weren’t as lucky as we are today, some of whom gave their lives, many of whom were dislocated, all of whom have been through an extraordinary history to arrive at the place we are today. We have work to do, but the journey of the past convinces us we can get that work done.
Thank you.
MODERATOR: (Via interpreter) Ladies and gentlemen, the time for questions. Mr. Cegielski from Polish Radio.
QUESTION: (Via interpreter) Good morning The question goes to both of you gentlemen. Several days ago, Minister Sikorski spoke on the Polish Radio and said that there will be a chance to ask a question about the invigilation. My question is: Have you spoken about NSA (inaudible) and what has been said?
And the question to Secretary Kerry: Have the Americans – are the Americans eavesdropping on Polish politicians?
FOREIGN MINISTER SIKORSKI: (Via interpreter) Yes, we have spoken about it and we have agreed on closer consultations between our services on combatting common threats.
SECRETARY KERRY: Happy to say to you that this is a subject, obviously, of concern – and we understand that – to people. First of all, we need to understand, as the Foreign Minister does, we’re all in this together. We are all in the effort to try to be able to provide protection to our citizens, and we have to strike the right balance between protecting our citizens and, obviously, the privacy of all of our citizens. That is a balance that we do try to strike. The President of the United States has ordered a complete review of all of our activity, and we will work very closely with our friends in order to make certain that the road ahead is one that is understood and that is mutually agreed upon.
MS. PSAKI: The next question will be from Jo Biddle of AFP.
QUESTION: Excuse me, sorry about that. Could I just follow up on the NSA allegations and with respect to how this might – how the fallout from all these revelations might affect the TTIP talks which are going to resume from November the 11th in Brussels? It was announced yesterday.
Secretary Kerry, how do you think the trade talks would be affected by these revelations which have left some of the European leaders in very political difficulties back home?
And Foreign Minister Sikorski, also how concerned is Poland about the fallout on U.S.-EU relations as a result of this?
And If I could just ask one more to Foreign Minister Sikorski on the CIA – the allegations of the CIA prison in Poland. There’s a European Court of Human Rights hearing next month, and I believe that the Polish Government has asked for this to be closed to the public and press. Why is that? And how is your own government investigation to this going, and are the Americans participating?
Thank you.
SECRETARY KERRY: Well, let me just say, first of all, we are very appreciative of the Foreign Minister’s and Poland’s strong support for the Transatlantic Trade Investment Partnership. This is a trade partnership that has the ability to lift all of our countries. Europe has obviously been having a very challenging economic time. The United States has also had its challenges; we’re starting to come back and get a lot stronger.
But the Transatlantic Trade Partnership is really separate from and different from any other issues that people may have on their minds. This is about jobs. It’s about the economy. It’s about economic competition in a global community that competes sometimes by rules that are very questionable and shaky.
If the United States and the European Community can come together around this Transatlantic Trade Partnership, we have the ability to raise the standards by which countries around the world are doing business, and we will have one of the most powerful economic marketplaces on the face of this planet. Together, that can have a profound positive impact for our people. It will put millions of people to work, create new jobs, more opportunities, and it’s worth pushing for.
Now, that should not be confused with whatever legitimate questions exist with respect to NSA or other activities. And as I have said previously, we want to hear from our allies, we want to have this conversation. President Obama welcomes this opportunity to work with our allies. And ultimately, if we get it right – which we will – we can not only alleviate concerns, but we can actually strengthen our intelligence relationships going forward and we can all be more secure and safer as a result, as well as protecting the privacy of citizens. We will work together very effectively on this.
FOREIGN MINISTER SIKORSKI: (Via interpreter) The TTIP, the deepened foreign trade agreement, is an agreement between the EU and the U.S. Let me remind you that we are represented by the European Commission in these talks. The Commission has the sole competence in this respect. The EU has no competences when it comes to cooperation of intelligence services. Intelligence services cooperation is very important. It is also vital to make sure that our rights and regulations and procedures keep up with the technological progress so that our citizens can feel safe and the alliances are not threatened, are not over-burdened by such incidents as the escape of Mr. Snowden.
But these are two separate things, two separate orders: One belongs to Europe itself, to the Community; the second one is rather national in character; it depends on individual and states vis-a-vis the U.S. And as I promised, as I mentioned, we promised that we will have closer cooperation between our services so that we can make certain that the cooperation is based on frankness, openness, and transparency, but also so that our citizens can feel safe, can be sure that their personal life is not the object of some unjustified interest.
As for the second question, you, Madam, answered your question yourself. Poland is the only country, actually, that is currently running an investigation on the alleged activities. The investigation is closed in nature; therefore, the materials have to be classified. They are not open to the public, so whatever we would like to communicate on an international basis is classified.
Thank you very much.
QUESTION: (Via interpreter) Mr. Wronski from Gazeta Wyborczaadsky, Polish daily. My first question goes to Minister – to Secretary Kerry. At the beginning of this year, the U.S. changed its plan related to the missile defense. You mentioned that due to lower threats, the fourth phase of the missile defense in Poland will not be carried out. In the light of the current situation, i.e., Syria and the violence there, and the (inaudible) of Iran getting different, will the plans of missile defense be changed, the plans related to Poland? Will they be reviewed, maybe?
And my second question is: How does the U.S. want to cooperate in construction of the Polish missile defense?
My third question goes to Minister Sikorski: Have you obtained any clear declaration from Secretary Kerry that Polish politicians have not been the subject of eavesdropping of NSA, have not been the target of NSA? You mentioned the word “consultations.” It was a bit worrying. It awoke some concerns. Does it mean that the Americans are to warn us that they are going to eavesdrop on us, or are we going to do eavesdropping together? What does it mean?
FOREIGN MINISTER SIKORSKI: (Via interpreter) Well, they are very good questions, actually, very good questions for my colleague, for Secretary Kerry.
SECRETARY KERRY: Thank you. Obviously, it’s premature to make any kind of judgment that would alter the current path, because there’s nothing that’s been altered otherwise. We don’t have an agreement with Iran, nothing has changed, and the plans for missile defense are absolutely on target. We’ve already – on October 28th we broke ground on the phase two adaptive, and we intend to provide for the next phase by 2018, and we’ll deploy that site by that period of time. That is our plan, and nothing has changed in that at this point in time. I don’t foresee it changing at this point. And obviously, we will fulfill our obligations and work together with the Government of Poland with respect to the deployment.
MS. PSAKI: The last question will be from Scott Stearns with VOA.
QUESTION: A question for both of you, if I might. With U.S. and Russian officials meeting in Geneva today on the Syria talks, Syria’s Information Minister has said that the Assad government will not take part in Geneva 2 if the goal is the removal of the Assad government. You said yesterday in Saudi Arabia, Mr. Secretary, that that was the goal of Geneva 2. So how do you move forward to a negotiated settlement where one, if not both, of the parties to the Syrian conflict are doubtful to attend a Geneva 2?
SECRETARY KERRY: Well, the words “regime” and individuals and this and that get confused in this process. The Assad regime knows full well that the purpose of Geneva 2 is to implement Geneva 1. That has always been true. The Russians have accepted that. Every support group of the Syrian opposition has accepted that.
The purpose is to implement Geneva 1. What does that mean? What is Geneva 1? Geneva 1 calls for the installation of a transition government with full executive authority by mutual consent, so both parties have to agree to put in place a transition government that is neutral that will bring about a choice for the Syrian people for the long-term future.
Now, I don’t know how anybody believes the opposition is going to give mutual consent to Assad to continue. And the Syrian Government has accepted to come to Geneva. So I hope that the Syrian Government and the Russians and Iranians and others who support the Syrian regime will make certain that the Syrian regime will live up to its obligation to come to Geneva to negotiate a peaceful resolution of the conflict in Syria.
And we and others have already indicated we are prepared to be there and the opposition is. The opposition received a very significant boost yesterday from the Arab League, which overwhelmingly stated a very strong resolution saying that the opposition must go to Geneva, Geneva is important, and Geneva will provide a way to have a negotiated solution here.
One thing is certain: There is no military solution to the conflict in Syria. It can only be resolved through political negotiation. And the framework for that negotiation has been accepted by the international community. It is Geneva 2 negotiation to implement Geneva 1 transition government. And we hope that the Assad regime will live up to its already stated promise to be there and to negotiate. And I think it speaks for itself.
FOREIGN MINISTER SIKORSKI: (Via interpreter) Poland has been supporting the destruction of Syrian chemical weapons when that seemed to be not very likely, and today it is reality. So we are also supporting political talks because we think that this is the last chance, the last resort for Syria and for its citizens. We need to negotiate the solution for nuclear ambitions of Iran.
I’d like to thank and congratulate John Kerry for everything that he does, he’s been doing and he does to support the peace process between Israel and Palestine. Thank you very much.
MODERATOR: (Via interpreter) Thank you, ministers. Thank you, guests.
SECRETARY KERRY: Thank you very, very much.
Joint Press Availability With Polish Foreign Minister RadosBaw Sikorski
Remarks
John Kerry
Secretary of State
Warsaw, Poland
November 5, 2013
FOREIGN MINISTER SIKORSKI: (Via interpreter) John, welcome to Warsaw and Poland. We’ve known each other for a very long time. I knew you when you weren’t the Secretary of State and I personally wasn’t a Minister of Foreign Affairs with the Republic of Poland, actually. I’m very glad to keep in touch with you, and I mean keep in touch not only when it comes to Syria and our bilateral relations.
Today’s meeting is proof and confirms the good strategic relationship between the United States and Poland. An example of the close link can be the political cooperation and our military cooperation. What’s more, we have common economic interest and we conduct democratic dialogue.
When we recall our common actions, I would like to thank you cordially for your yesterday’s visit. You visited the resting place of Tadeusz Mazowiecki, the first non-communist prime minister of the Republic of Poland, thanks to whom we are where we are, who paved the way for Poland to the EU, to NATO, the way to freedom, the way for Poland to become a secure and safe and wealthier country.
Next year, the summit of NATO takes place in London. We will sum up our joint operations in Afghanistan and we will set directions for further operations of NATO for common security.
As for the topic of Afghanistan, I’d like to say that this topic is personally – it’s very close to me, and I’d like to recall to the Polish media the person of Sergeant Michael Ollis, who on the 28th of August during (inaudible) of a Polish base in Ghazny sacrificed his life to save a Polish soldier. I think this is the best proof of the fact that Poles and Americans are brothers in arms. So my condolences go to the family of Sergeant Ollis. And I’d like to thank you for our military cooperation in Afghanistan.
We have spoken about the ongoing issues that are on the international agenda. John is just returning from the Middle East, but we’ve not only spoken about the southern neighbors of the EU but also about the eastern neighbors of the EU. We are approaching the Eastern Partnership Summit, and there still is the question of signing association agreement with Ukraine.
Poland, for obvious reasons, supports the signing of a free trade agreement between the EU and the U.S. We promised ourselves that we would consult each other in that matters. Poland is one of the countries who think that for the sake of environment and for the sake of our economies in Europe and in Poland, we should explore and produce shale gas, and gas should flow to our NLG terminal also from the United States.
So John, once again a very warm welcome in Poland, and I hope the rest of your visit will be very fruitful. Thank you.
SECRETARY KERRY: Well, Radek, thank you very, very, very much. Witam serdecznie. I’m very honored to be here with all of you, and I am particularly grateful to revisit with my friend, the Foreign Minister of Poland. We have collaborated on a number of different issues and engaged in a number of important and close, constructive dialogues. And he has visited with me in Washington; I’m now privileged to visit with him here. And together we have met at a number of other multilateral meetings.
It’s a pleasure for me to be back in Poland. I’ve had the privilege of being here a number of times, particularly for environmental conferences, and we applaud Poland’s extraordinary leadership with respect to the environment and environmental issues. And it’s no accident that I chose to be here in Poland for my first bilateral meeting in Central Europe. In less than 25 years, since the restoration of democracy, the Polish people have turned the country into an economic and security powerhouse, and the progress that has been made is really quite extraordinary. And the impact of Poland is really felt now throughout the transatlantic community.
Last night, as Radek mentioned, I had the privilege of standing at the gravesite of former (inaudible) Minister Mazowiecki. It was a very moving moment. It was very beautiful in that cemetery with the birch trees and the aroma of the birch trees and the flowers on the graves and the lights of all the various candles. It was really mystical and spiritual, and I was very proud to lay a wreath from the people of the United States to recognize the extraordinary contribution of this man to the cause of freedom and independence and human rights. It is a great story.
I also, knowing the history of this great city and of Poland itself, cannot help but come here with a sense of respect for the remarkable journey of the Polish people. Warsaw – the name Warsaw is associated with so much: the Warsaw Pact, the Warsaw Convention, the Warsaw Uprising. The resistance and the incredible rebuilding of an entire country has come out of the remarkable spirit of the Polish people. And so I feel privileged as an American, and as an American Secretary of State who has great appreciation, having run for President of the United States, for the vast diaspora of the Polish people that contribute to the United States now as Polish Americans.
So I’m glad to come back here, and I am struck by how much has changed in just one generation, and frankly, how much of that change came from the visionary leadership of the Prime Minister, Prime Minister Mazowiecki and also of other great polish leaders whose names are known around the world. Prime Minister Mazowiecki was obviously an advocate for the best of human rights, the best of democracy, and he launched Poland’s extraordinary aspirations that now neighbors and friends around the world can touch and appreciate.
I’m also proud that in this march of progress, the United States and Poland, as allies and friends, continue to promote our shared values and our shared aspirations. And our partnership, quite frankly, is growing stronger because of that.
On the economic side, today the Foreign Minister and I discussed the Transatlantic Trade Investment Partnership, TTIP as it’s known, which can lead to even further economic and political transformation. In addition, as a NATO member now for almost 15 years and as an EU member for nearly 10 years, Poland’s influence in both organizations has grown significantly over that time.
And that is because of the smart choices that the Polish people continue to make. You are opening markets, you are embracing transparency, you are continuing with your defense modernization and building the strength of the country, you are continuing to diversify your energy marketplace, and you are generously supporting the democratic EU and have begun negotiating and recognizing our shared interest in a comprehensive economic agreement that can grow both of our countries and all of the region. Europe and the United States joined together in an economic association would be one of the most powerful economic forces on the planet, and it will raise the standards by which all countries are engaging in economic activity.
Poland is also the largest commercial partner of the United States in Central Europe, and our bilateral trade has quadrupled over the course of the last 10 years. We think we can do even better, and we believe that the TTIP is the key to being able to do that.
On the environmental front, as I mentioned earlier in my comments, Poland is not only hosting the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change for the 19th conference of the parties next week, but Poland continues to send a signal for all of us that we need to demonstrate our commitment to a cleaner energy base and to live up to our responsibilities to lower emissions on a global basis.
As NATO allies, our security partnership, from Afghanistan to Kosovo to Lask, all of these – right here in Poland at the air base – make our relationship even more important and stronger. I look forward to going to Lask later in the day and saluting the work of our armed forces and the work that they accomplish together.
I also want to commend Poland for its $45 billion investment in defense modernization. The United States defense industry, which we believe is the most innovative, creative, and technologically advanced in the world, is going to compete vigorously here with our government in support of the goals and the upgrades that Poland seeks.
Poland is a very important part of the European phased adaptive approach on NATO missile defense, and we will deploy a missile defense site in Poland in the 2018 timeframe.
We’re also enormously proud of our work together to promote democracy on this continent and around the world. I want to commend Minister Sikorski for his tireless efforts in particular for mentoring the Eastern Partnership countries in advance of the meeting in Vilnius. This is a very important opportunity for everybody, and I think Poland has been front and center in its efforts to help advance all of our interests through that association.
The bottom line is this: Poland is thriving and our alliance is thriving. And I look forward to celebrating here today the economic and security benefits with the leaders of Poland, and I particularly look forward to continuing to grow this partnership. We’re respectful, enormously respectful of the extraordinary history of the people of Poland, of this city, of this region; mindful that we always have to be vigilant. We know that things can change. The march of democracy is important. We believe in it, but it takes work; it takes nurturing. And all of us have a responsibility to continue to do our part in order to live up to the legacy left us by those who weren’t as lucky as we are today, some of whom gave their lives, many of whom were dislocated, all of whom have been through an extraordinary history to arrive at the place we are today. We have work to do, but the journey of the past convinces us we can get that work done.
Thank you.
MODERATOR: (Via interpreter) Ladies and gentlemen, the time for questions. Mr. Cegielski from Polish Radio.
QUESTION: (Via interpreter) Good morning The question goes to both of you gentlemen. Several days ago, Minister Sikorski spoke on the Polish Radio and said that there will be a chance to ask a question about the invigilation. My question is: Have you spoken about NSA (inaudible) and what has been said?
And the question to Secretary Kerry: Have the Americans – are the Americans eavesdropping on Polish politicians?
FOREIGN MINISTER SIKORSKI: (Via interpreter) Yes, we have spoken about it and we have agreed on closer consultations between our services on combatting common threats.
SECRETARY KERRY: Happy to say to you that this is a subject, obviously, of concern – and we understand that – to people. First of all, we need to understand, as the Foreign Minister does, we’re all in this together. We are all in the effort to try to be able to provide protection to our citizens, and we have to strike the right balance between protecting our citizens and, obviously, the privacy of all of our citizens. That is a balance that we do try to strike. The President of the United States has ordered a complete review of all of our activity, and we will work very closely with our friends in order to make certain that the road ahead is one that is understood and that is mutually agreed upon.
MS. PSAKI: The next question will be from Jo Biddle of AFP.
QUESTION: Excuse me, sorry about that. Could I just follow up on the NSA allegations and with respect to how this might – how the fallout from all these revelations might affect the TTIP talks which are going to resume from November the 11th in Brussels? It was announced yesterday.
Secretary Kerry, how do you think the trade talks would be affected by these revelations which have left some of the European leaders in very political difficulties back home?
And Foreign Minister Sikorski, also how concerned is Poland about the fallout on U.S.-EU relations as a result of this?
And If I could just ask one more to Foreign Minister Sikorski on the CIA – the allegations of the CIA prison in Poland. There’s a European Court of Human Rights hearing next month, and I believe that the Polish Government has asked for this to be closed to the public and press. Why is that? And how is your own government investigation to this going, and are the Americans participating?
Thank you.
SECRETARY KERRY: Well, let me just say, first of all, we are very appreciative of the Foreign Minister’s and Poland’s strong support for the Transatlantic Trade Investment Partnership. This is a trade partnership that has the ability to lift all of our countries. Europe has obviously been having a very challenging economic time. The United States has also had its challenges; we’re starting to come back and get a lot stronger.
But the Transatlantic Trade Partnership is really separate from and different from any other issues that people may have on their minds. This is about jobs. It’s about the economy. It’s about economic competition in a global community that competes sometimes by rules that are very questionable and shaky.
If the United States and the European Community can come together around this Transatlantic Trade Partnership, we have the ability to raise the standards by which countries around the world are doing business, and we will have one of the most powerful economic marketplaces on the face of this planet. Together, that can have a profound positive impact for our people. It will put millions of people to work, create new jobs, more opportunities, and it’s worth pushing for.
Now, that should not be confused with whatever legitimate questions exist with respect to NSA or other activities. And as I have said previously, we want to hear from our allies, we want to have this conversation. President Obama welcomes this opportunity to work with our allies. And ultimately, if we get it right – which we will – we can not only alleviate concerns, but we can actually strengthen our intelligence relationships going forward and we can all be more secure and safer as a result, as well as protecting the privacy of citizens. We will work together very effectively on this.
FOREIGN MINISTER SIKORSKI: (Via interpreter) The TTIP, the deepened foreign trade agreement, is an agreement between the EU and the U.S. Let me remind you that we are represented by the European Commission in these talks. The Commission has the sole competence in this respect. The EU has no competences when it comes to cooperation of intelligence services. Intelligence services cooperation is very important. It is also vital to make sure that our rights and regulations and procedures keep up with the technological progress so that our citizens can feel safe and the alliances are not threatened, are not over-burdened by such incidents as the escape of Mr. Snowden.
But these are two separate things, two separate orders: One belongs to Europe itself, to the Community; the second one is rather national in character; it depends on individual and states vis-a-vis the U.S. And as I promised, as I mentioned, we promised that we will have closer cooperation between our services so that we can make certain that the cooperation is based on frankness, openness, and transparency, but also so that our citizens can feel safe, can be sure that their personal life is not the object of some unjustified interest.
As for the second question, you, Madam, answered your question yourself. Poland is the only country, actually, that is currently running an investigation on the alleged activities. The investigation is closed in nature; therefore, the materials have to be classified. They are not open to the public, so whatever we would like to communicate on an international basis is classified.
Thank you very much.
QUESTION: (Via interpreter) Mr. Wronski from Gazeta Wyborczaadsky, Polish daily. My first question goes to Minister – to Secretary Kerry. At the beginning of this year, the U.S. changed its plan related to the missile defense. You mentioned that due to lower threats, the fourth phase of the missile defense in Poland will not be carried out. In the light of the current situation, i.e., Syria and the violence there, and the (inaudible) of Iran getting different, will the plans of missile defense be changed, the plans related to Poland? Will they be reviewed, maybe?
And my second question is: How does the U.S. want to cooperate in construction of the Polish missile defense?
My third question goes to Minister Sikorski: Have you obtained any clear declaration from Secretary Kerry that Polish politicians have not been the subject of eavesdropping of NSA, have not been the target of NSA? You mentioned the word “consultations.” It was a bit worrying. It awoke some concerns. Does it mean that the Americans are to warn us that they are going to eavesdrop on us, or are we going to do eavesdropping together? What does it mean?
FOREIGN MINISTER SIKORSKI: (Via interpreter) Well, they are very good questions, actually, very good questions for my colleague, for Secretary Kerry.
SECRETARY KERRY: Thank you. Obviously, it’s premature to make any kind of judgment that would alter the current path, because there’s nothing that’s been altered otherwise. We don’t have an agreement with Iran, nothing has changed, and the plans for missile defense are absolutely on target. We’ve already – on October 28th we broke ground on the phase two adaptive, and we intend to provide for the next phase by 2018, and we’ll deploy that site by that period of time. That is our plan, and nothing has changed in that at this point in time. I don’t foresee it changing at this point. And obviously, we will fulfill our obligations and work together with the Government of Poland with respect to the deployment.
MS. PSAKI: The last question will be from Scott Stearns with VOA.
QUESTION: A question for both of you, if I might. With U.S. and Russian officials meeting in Geneva today on the Syria talks, Syria’s Information Minister has said that the Assad government will not take part in Geneva 2 if the goal is the removal of the Assad government. You said yesterday in Saudi Arabia, Mr. Secretary, that that was the goal of Geneva 2. So how do you move forward to a negotiated settlement where one, if not both, of the parties to the Syrian conflict are doubtful to attend a Geneva 2?
SECRETARY KERRY: Well, the words “regime” and individuals and this and that get confused in this process. The Assad regime knows full well that the purpose of Geneva 2 is to implement Geneva 1. That has always been true. The Russians have accepted that. Every support group of the Syrian opposition has accepted that.
The purpose is to implement Geneva 1. What does that mean? What is Geneva 1? Geneva 1 calls for the installation of a transition government with full executive authority by mutual consent, so both parties have to agree to put in place a transition government that is neutral that will bring about a choice for the Syrian people for the long-term future.
Now, I don’t know how anybody believes the opposition is going to give mutual consent to Assad to continue. And the Syrian Government has accepted to come to Geneva. So I hope that the Syrian Government and the Russians and Iranians and others who support the Syrian regime will make certain that the Syrian regime will live up to its obligation to come to Geneva to negotiate a peaceful resolution of the conflict in Syria.
And we and others have already indicated we are prepared to be there and the opposition is. The opposition received a very significant boost yesterday from the Arab League, which overwhelmingly stated a very strong resolution saying that the opposition must go to Geneva, Geneva is important, and Geneva will provide a way to have a negotiated solution here.
One thing is certain: There is no military solution to the conflict in Syria. It can only be resolved through political negotiation. And the framework for that negotiation has been accepted by the international community. It is Geneva 2 negotiation to implement Geneva 1 transition government. And we hope that the Assad regime will live up to its already stated promise to be there and to negotiate. And I think it speaks for itself.
FOREIGN MINISTER SIKORSKI: (Via interpreter) Poland has been supporting the destruction of Syrian chemical weapons when that seemed to be not very likely, and today it is reality. So we are also supporting political talks because we think that this is the last chance, the last resort for Syria and for its citizens. We need to negotiate the solution for nuclear ambitions of Iran.
I’d like to thank and congratulate John Kerry for everything that he does, he’s been doing and he does to support the peace process between Israel and Palestine. Thank you very much.
MODERATOR: (Via interpreter) Thank you, ministers. Thank you, guests.
SECRETARY KERRY: Thank you very, very much.
Tuesday, August 6, 2013
READOUT: SECRETARY HAGEL'S CALL WITH EGYPTIAN DEFENSE MINISTER GENERAL AL-SISI
FROM: U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT
Readout of Secretary Hagel's Call with Egyptian Defense Minister Gen. Abdul Fatah al-Sisi
Pentagon Press Secretary George Little issued the following readout:
"Secretary Hagel spoke with his Egyptian counterpart, Defense Gen. Abdul Fatah Al-Sisi this afternoon via telephone.
"Secretary Hagel and Minister Al-Sisi discussed progress in U.S. and EU mediation efforts led by Deputy Secretary of State Bill Burns and EU Special Representative Bernadino Leon.
"Minister Al-Sisi underscored his commitment to peaceful resolution of the ongoing protests, and thanked Secretary Hagel for U.S. support.
"Minister Al-Sisi affirmed the commitment of the interim civilian government to an inclusive political roadmap for all Egyptians."
Readout of Secretary Hagel's Call with Egyptian Defense Minister Gen. Abdul Fatah al-Sisi
Pentagon Press Secretary George Little issued the following readout:
"Secretary Hagel spoke with his Egyptian counterpart, Defense Gen. Abdul Fatah Al-Sisi this afternoon via telephone.
"Secretary Hagel and Minister Al-Sisi discussed progress in U.S. and EU mediation efforts led by Deputy Secretary of State Bill Burns and EU Special Representative Bernadino Leon.
"Minister Al-Sisi underscored his commitment to peaceful resolution of the ongoing protests, and thanked Secretary Hagel for U.S. support.
"Minister Al-Sisi affirmed the commitment of the interim civilian government to an inclusive political roadmap for all Egyptians."
Friday, July 12, 2013
DOJ ISSUES STATEMENT ON MEETING WITH EU
FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
Monday, July 8, 2013
Justice Department Statement on Meeting with European Union
"This morning the Department of Justice hosted the initial meeting in the U.S.-E.U./E.U. Member State dialogue on intelligence practices, as first suggested by Attorney General Holder during a ministerial gathering with E.U. officials in Dublin last month.
“Officials from the Justice Department, Office of the Director of National Intelligence and the State Department represented the United States government. Officials from the E.U. included representatives of the Lithuanian Presidency of the EU, the European Council, the European Commission, the External Action Service of the EU, and EU Member States.
“This meeting focused on next steps for discussion of these issues, including the possibility of a follow-on meeting in the coming weeks. This open and constructive dialogue illustrates the extent and depth of the relationship between the U.S. and our European partners as we strive to protect both the safety and individual liberties of citizens on both sides of the Atlantic.
“We look forward to this continued dialogue and cooperation with the EU and EU Member States.”
Monday, July 8, 2013
Justice Department Statement on Meeting with European Union
"This morning the Department of Justice hosted the initial meeting in the U.S.-E.U./E.U. Member State dialogue on intelligence practices, as first suggested by Attorney General Holder during a ministerial gathering with E.U. officials in Dublin last month.
“Officials from the Justice Department, Office of the Director of National Intelligence and the State Department represented the United States government. Officials from the E.U. included representatives of the Lithuanian Presidency of the EU, the European Council, the European Commission, the External Action Service of the EU, and EU Member States.
“This meeting focused on next steps for discussion of these issues, including the possibility of a follow-on meeting in the coming weeks. This open and constructive dialogue illustrates the extent and depth of the relationship between the U.S. and our European partners as we strive to protect both the safety and individual liberties of citizens on both sides of the Atlantic.
“We look forward to this continued dialogue and cooperation with the EU and EU Member States.”
Tuesday, May 28, 2013
U.S. AND EU ON GLOBAL NONPROLIFERATION OF WMD
FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
U.S., EU Lead Global Nonproliferation, Biosurveillance Efforts
By Cheryl Pellerin
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, May 28, 2013 - As nuclear, biological and chemical threats continue to evolve worldwide, partnership between the United States and European Union countries to counter such threats remains critical, a senior Defense Department official said today in Helsinki.
Andrew C. Weber, assistant secretary of defense for nuclear, chemical and biological defense programs, spoke at a meeting of the Atlantic Council on U.S.-European Union cooperation in countering the use of weapons of mass destruction.
The Atlantic Council is a public policy institution founded in 1961 to promote transatlantic cooperation and international security.
"In the coming years," Weber said, "our countries must continue to work together to raise safety and security standards, strengthen the Global Partnership and the [Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons], detect and report threats in real time, and promote disarmament."
The Global Partnership Against the Spread of Weapons and Materials of Mass Destruction consists of 25 countries, including 12 members of the European Union, works to reduce the global risk.
Such threats, Weber added, "are evolving in ways that affect all of our countries."
Increasing globalization, advances in dual-use technologies, and the emergence of new microbes and drug-resistant pathogens are complicating the ability to meet nonproliferation and counterproliferation goals, the assistant secretary observed.
Advances in technology and the work of illicit networks are making it easier for nonstate actors to access materials needed to produce weapons of mass destruction, he added, and the regimes in Syria and North Korea "are proving that we must maintain our focus on state-sponsored programs."
The European Union and the United States have made firm commitments to addressing the full range of concerns about weapons of mass destruction, Weber said.
"As Finland's 2012 Security and Defense Policy report points out," he continued, 'In the era of global challenges the EU and the United States, being close strategic partners, are expected to cooperate to achieve lasting solutions.'"
Cooperation is especially important in addressing threats of this magnitude and complexity, he said. "As Finland's defense policy report notes," he added, "the U.S. administration believes strongly in using partnerships and cooperation to mitigate global threats."
Weber called this a guiding principle for efforts to counter weapons of mass destruction threats.
In December, he noted, President Barack Obama said the Nunn-Lugar Cooperative Threat Reduction, or CTR, program to reduce nuclear, biological and chemical threats is one of the most important U.S. national security programs and a perfect example of the kind of partnerships needed to meet challenges that no nation can address on its own.
"For two decades, our cooperative threat reduction work focused on the former Soviet Union and on reducing nuclear threats. Since then, it has evolved both geographically and by focus area," Weber said. That evolution, along with other collaborative efforts, is increasing the cooperative threat reduction focus on biological threats, he noted.
"The United States looks forward to working with international partners to launch, enhance and link global networks for real-time biosurveillance, expanding International Health Regulation capabilities across the globe and developing novel diagnostics," he said, adding that many European Union countries with advanced biological-science sectors are helping to build global reporting networks.
Weber said that uniting the health, security and emergency-response sectors in the United States and European Union countries is critical to preparedness for any kind of threat.
"By applying this principal to our international partnerships, both the EU and the United States are contributing to more resilient communities around the world," he added.
The European Union and the United States also lead the world on a path toward disarmament, the assistant secretary said, and strengthening the nonproliferation treaty and other nonproliferation initiatives remains a core principle of their defense strategies.
Weber recognized Finland's leadership on this and its commitment to moving toward a weapons-of-mass-destruction-free zone in the Middle East. He also commended the efforts of Ambassador Jaakko Laajava, Finnish undersecretary of state for foreign and security policy, to set the conditions for making this vision a reality.
"For the United States," he said, "President Obama has set a bold vision for disarmament and continues to prioritize the Nuclear Security Summit process ... [and] established ambitious goals for a world safe and secure from biological threats."
The assistant secretary quoted part of Obama's 2012 address before the U.N. General Assembly: "We must come together to prevent and detect and fight every kind of biological danger -- whether it's a pandemic like H1N1, or a terrorist threat, or a treatable disease.'"
Under the president's leadership, Weber said, "the United States now has national strategies for countering biological threats and advancing global biosurveillance capabilities."
U.S., EU Lead Global Nonproliferation, Biosurveillance Efforts
By Cheryl Pellerin
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, May 28, 2013 - As nuclear, biological and chemical threats continue to evolve worldwide, partnership between the United States and European Union countries to counter such threats remains critical, a senior Defense Department official said today in Helsinki.
Andrew C. Weber, assistant secretary of defense for nuclear, chemical and biological defense programs, spoke at a meeting of the Atlantic Council on U.S.-European Union cooperation in countering the use of weapons of mass destruction.
The Atlantic Council is a public policy institution founded in 1961 to promote transatlantic cooperation and international security.
"In the coming years," Weber said, "our countries must continue to work together to raise safety and security standards, strengthen the Global Partnership and the [Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons], detect and report threats in real time, and promote disarmament."
The Global Partnership Against the Spread of Weapons and Materials of Mass Destruction consists of 25 countries, including 12 members of the European Union, works to reduce the global risk.
Such threats, Weber added, "are evolving in ways that affect all of our countries."
Increasing globalization, advances in dual-use technologies, and the emergence of new microbes and drug-resistant pathogens are complicating the ability to meet nonproliferation and counterproliferation goals, the assistant secretary observed.
Advances in technology and the work of illicit networks are making it easier for nonstate actors to access materials needed to produce weapons of mass destruction, he added, and the regimes in Syria and North Korea "are proving that we must maintain our focus on state-sponsored programs."
The European Union and the United States have made firm commitments to addressing the full range of concerns about weapons of mass destruction, Weber said.
"As Finland's 2012 Security and Defense Policy report points out," he continued, 'In the era of global challenges the EU and the United States, being close strategic partners, are expected to cooperate to achieve lasting solutions.'"
Cooperation is especially important in addressing threats of this magnitude and complexity, he said. "As Finland's defense policy report notes," he added, "the U.S. administration believes strongly in using partnerships and cooperation to mitigate global threats."
Weber called this a guiding principle for efforts to counter weapons of mass destruction threats.
In December, he noted, President Barack Obama said the Nunn-Lugar Cooperative Threat Reduction, or CTR, program to reduce nuclear, biological and chemical threats is one of the most important U.S. national security programs and a perfect example of the kind of partnerships needed to meet challenges that no nation can address on its own.
"For two decades, our cooperative threat reduction work focused on the former Soviet Union and on reducing nuclear threats. Since then, it has evolved both geographically and by focus area," Weber said. That evolution, along with other collaborative efforts, is increasing the cooperative threat reduction focus on biological threats, he noted.
"The United States looks forward to working with international partners to launch, enhance and link global networks for real-time biosurveillance, expanding International Health Regulation capabilities across the globe and developing novel diagnostics," he said, adding that many European Union countries with advanced biological-science sectors are helping to build global reporting networks.
Weber said that uniting the health, security and emergency-response sectors in the United States and European Union countries is critical to preparedness for any kind of threat.
"By applying this principal to our international partnerships, both the EU and the United States are contributing to more resilient communities around the world," he added.
The European Union and the United States also lead the world on a path toward disarmament, the assistant secretary said, and strengthening the nonproliferation treaty and other nonproliferation initiatives remains a core principle of their defense strategies.
Weber recognized Finland's leadership on this and its commitment to moving toward a weapons-of-mass-destruction-free zone in the Middle East. He also commended the efforts of Ambassador Jaakko Laajava, Finnish undersecretary of state for foreign and security policy, to set the conditions for making this vision a reality.
"For the United States," he said, "President Obama has set a bold vision for disarmament and continues to prioritize the Nuclear Security Summit process ... [and] established ambitious goals for a world safe and secure from biological threats."
The assistant secretary quoted part of Obama's 2012 address before the U.N. General Assembly: "We must come together to prevent and detect and fight every kind of biological danger -- whether it's a pandemic like H1N1, or a terrorist threat, or a treatable disease.'"
Under the president's leadership, Weber said, "the United States now has national strategies for countering biological threats and advancing global biosurveillance capabilities."
Sunday, December 16, 2012
KEYNOTE REMARKS AT EUROPEAN UNION'S HUMAN RIGHTS DAY EVENT
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| Sun Rise From Space. Credit: ISS/NASA/Ron Garan. |
FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Under Secretary Otero's Keynote Remarks at the European Union's Human Rights Day Event
Remarks
Daniel Baer
Deputy Assistant Secretary, Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor
EU Mission To The United States
Washington, DC
December 11, 2012
Thank you, Mr. Ambassador, for that kind introduction. It is a special honor to be with you the day after the European Union was awarded the 2012 Peace Prize. My warm congratulations to you.
And thank you also to the embassies that are cohosting today’s event—Cyprus, Finland, and Lithuania—as well as the embassies of the Czech Republic, Sweden and the UK which have supported this event as well.
I am very sorry that Maria Otero could not be here. As you’ve heard, there was a death in her family overnight, and certainly my thoughts are with her. Those of you who know her know that she brings wisdom, grace and warmth to all that she does, and so I am glad that she can be with her family, as I’m sure she is a comfort to them.
Maria and I have traveled together and worked on many issues together over the last three and a half years—so it’s an honor to be her understudy today, and I thank the mission for inviting me to deliver her remarks in her stead.
Today’s meeting fits well with the EU’s legacy of working for peace and justice. And I am pleased you have organized such a distinguished panel to address the issue of human rights, a key pillar of U.S. foreign policy.
Yesterday was International Human Rights Day, when we celebrate the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. In adopting the Declaration, governments around the world recognized that human beings are, by virtue of their birth, endowed with certain inalienable rights. And these rights serve as "the foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world."
Today, we continue to look to the Universal Declaration not just as a reminder of our values, but as a guide for action. As Secretary of State Clinton said last week in Dublin, "it is a time-tested blueprint for successful societies."
The theme of today’s event – "Supporting Freedom of Expression, Freedom of Association, and Political Participation" – is particularly appropriate. For we recognize that human rights are not just about freedom from violence, torture, unlawful detention, discrimination, and oppression. Human rights also include the fundamental freedoms to speak, associate, assemble, and follow one’s faith.
The European Union and the United States have been strong partners in promoting these basic rights that are so important to securing other rights. We are bound together by a common history and shared values, within which these fundamental freedoms play a key role.
Today, I’d like to highlight a few areas where the EU and the United States are working together to promote and strengthen human rights around the world.
First, we both work to ensure that the freedoms of expression, association, and political participation enhance citizen involvement in the democratic electoral process. As Secretary Clinton has said on numerous occasions, a vibrant civil society in which citizens and activists engage in vigorous public debate is one of the fundaments of free, democratic nations. Such public deliberation helps keep citizens informed, exposes them to a variety of opinions, values and interests, and induces them to refine their own views and defend them with good reasons.
And democratic elections, in turn, help to protect fundamental freedoms and to promote good governance, by enabling citizens to hold their leaders accountable. Thus, the mutually reinforcing feedback loop between civil society and democratic institutions creates a virtuous circle of vibrant democracy.
Second, we work together to protect freedom of expression, enshrined in Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, as well as a number of other international instruments. Of course, protecting the right of expression does not mean endorsing everything that people say. There are billions of people on earth; some of them will say terrible, hurtful things. They may offend our religious feelings or defame groups we belong to. Rather than banning such speech, the rest of us should use our own freedom of expression to challenge, condemn, and reject hateful or offensive speech.
Working with youth from many European Union countries over the past few years, we have shown that it is possible to stop bigotry and promote respect across lines of culture, religion, tradition, class, disability, and gender. The 2012 Hours Against Hate campaign uses social media to invite youth throughout Europe and around the world to volunteer their time with someone who does not look like them, live like them, or pray like them. The success of the campaign is evident through the more than 20,000 volunteer hours pledged globally. People from faith groups, NGOs, international organizations, universities, businesses, governments, and other individuals in Europe and around the world have joined the campaign.
Third, we share the same objectives in the fight against anti-Semitism, anti-Muslim sentiment, and discrimination against religious and ethnic minorities, LGBT individuals, and persons with disabilities. The EU continues to play the leading role in combating all forms of discrimination across the European continent. We applaud the EU’s Framework for National Roma Integration Strategies as an important step in protecting the rights of the members of the Romani minority, and we encourage the EU to press forward in its commitments to promote the social and economic inclusion of members of all marginalized groups.
We also applaud the EU Council’s adoption in June of an "EU Strategic Framework on Human Rights and Democracy." And we look forward to continue working closely with newly appointed EU Special Representative Mr. Lambrinidis on the implementation of our human rights policy. (Incidentally we are already working together-- I was in Geneva last week for the first UN Forum on Business and Human Rights where Mr. Lambrinidis and Mike Posner both addressed the plenary session.)
Fourth, as Secretary of State Clinton noted in a recent speech in Washington, we will cooperate with the EU to promote democracy and human rights in those parts of Europe that are not yet where they need to be. The Secretary reiterated this message in Dublin last week when she met with embattled civil society organizations from across Europe on the sidelines of the OSCE ministerial meetings.
Beyond Europe, we applaud some of the newest members of the EU for using their recent experiences with democratization to support democratic aspirations in Eurasia, the Middle East, and North Africa.
And we look to our European allies to help improve security and build new relationships in Asia. As Secretary Clinton said, "our pivot to Asia is not a pivot away from Europe. On the contrary, we want Europe to engage more in Asia along with us, to see the region not only as a market, but as a focus of common strategic engagement."
And as a good example, European governments, including Germany, UK, Switzerland, the Czech Republic, and Poland, have joined the call for Chinese authorities to address the worsening human rights conditions in Tibetan areas.
The United States is deeply concerned and saddened by the continuing violence in Tibetan areas of China and the increasing frequency of self-immolations by Tibetans.
Chinese authorities have responded to these tragic incidents with measures that tighten already strict controls on the freedoms of religion, expression, assembly and association of Tibetans. Official rhetoric that denigrates the Tibetan language, the Dalai Lama, and those that have self-immolated has further exacerbated tensions.
The United States government has consistently urged the Chinese government to address policies in Tibetan areas that have created tensions. These policies include increasingly severe government controls on Tibetan Buddhist religious practice and monastic institutions; education practices that undermine the preservation of Tibetan language; intensive surveillance, arbitrary detentions and disappearances of Tibetans, including youth and Tibetan intellectual and cultural leaders; escalating restrictions on news, media and communications; and the use of force against Tibetans seeking peacefully to exercise their universal human rights.
Ladies and gentlemen, in conclusion, we celebrate Human Rights Day every December. But advancing freedom and human rights is our daily work, as the Secretary noted in Dublin, and we must continue the hard work of "making human rights a human reality." We continue to press for the fundamental rights and freedoms of all people, and we will stand with citizens, activists, and governments around the world that do the same, as we strive for a world in which each human being lives freely and with dignity. Thank you.
Thursday, June 28, 2012
U.S.-DENMARK RELATIONS
FROM: U.S DEPARTMENT OF STATE
U.S. Relations With Denmark
Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs
Fact Sheet
June 15, 2012
Denmark and the United States have long enjoyed a close and mutually beneficial relationship. The two countries consult closely on European and other regional political and security matters and cooperate extensively to promote peace and stability well beyond Europe’s borders. Denmark largely shares U.S. views on the positive ramifications of North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) enlargement. Danish troops support International Security Assistance Force-led stabilization efforts in Afghanistan.
The U.S. Air Force base and early warning radar facility at Thule, in northwest Greenland, serves as a vital link in Western and NATO defenses. In 2004, the Danish and Greenland Home Rule governments signed agreements allowing for an upgrade of the Thule early warning radar in connection with a role in the U.S. ballistic missile defense system. The same agreements also created new opportunities for both sides to enhance economic, technical, and environmental cooperation between the United States and Greenland.
American culture--and particularly popular culture, from jazz, rock, and rap to television shows and literature--is very popular in Denmark. More than 300,000 U.S. tourists visit Denmark annually.
Bilateral Economic Relations
Denmark's active liberal trade policy in the European Union (EU), Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, and World Trade Organization largely coincides with U.S. interests. There have been differences of opinion between the U.S. and the EU on how to manage and resolve recent global and regional financial crises, but not on the importance of action. Denmark's role in European environmental and agricultural issues and its strategic location at the entrance to the Baltic Sea have made Copenhagen a center for U.S. agencies and the private sector dealing with the Nordic/Baltic region.
The U.S. is Denmark's largest non-European trade partner. Among major Danish exports to the United States are industrial machinery, chemical products, furniture, pharmaceuticals, canned ham and pork, windmills, and plastic toy blocks (Lego). In addition, Denmark has a significant services trade with the U.S., a major share of it stemming from Danish-controlled ships engaged in container traffic to and from the United States (notably by Maersk-Line). Over 400 U.S. companies have subsidiaries in Denmark.
Denmark's Membership in International Organizations
Danish foreign policy is founded upon four cornerstones: the United Nations, NATO, the EU, and Nordic cooperation. Denmark and the United States belong to a number of the same international organizations, including the UN, NATO, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, International Monetary Fund, World Bank, and World Trade Organization.
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